#Japan #Katsushika #Akari Guarantee #Guarantee Service #Shadow Work

Akari Guarantee's Growing Role in Supporting Solitary Seniors

On September 2, 2025, Yukiyuki Shimizu, a lawyer and representative of Akari Guarantee, presented a significant lecture during a workshop organized by the Katsushika Ward Community Comprehensive Support Center. The event attracted around 100 care managers from the community, emphasizing the theme of "Support for Those Without Family." Shimizu provided insights and concrete examples from a legal perspective, contributing to discussions about the urgent need for assistance tailored to solitary seniors.

The workshop consisted of three parts. Akari Guarantee collaborated with Maro Sounds Company, represented by Hirota Tanaka, to illuminate the evolving nature of care managers’ responsibilities. In particular, the subjects of “shadow work” and the various unrecognized duties of care managers were thoroughly explained. With over 8 million elderly people living alone in Japan, projections indicate this number will rise to approximately 10.8 million by 2050. Among this demographic, around 4.5 million are categorized as “older solo refugees,” highlighting the increasing necessity for comprehensive support.

Elderly individuals are often left with no close family members, creating significant challenges for care managers who must provide assistance in various areas. These include accompanying patients to medical appointments, serving as guarantors during admissions and discharges, managing finances, and handling postmortem affairs, which fall outside of the standard long-term care insurance framework. The term “shadow work” refers to these essential but often uncompensated tasks that are increasingly expected of care managers.

In light of these complexities, the concept of “lifelong support for the elderly” has gained increasing importance. This support encompasses crucial services like managing finances and aiding with posthumous paperwork, with the most in-demand service being “guarantor services.” This service steps in to fill the role of a family member acting as a guarantor when elderly individuals seek medical or long-term care facilities.

Akari Guarantee is committed to collaborating with local governments and care managers to support individuals in isolated or lonely circumstances. The organization is dedicated to providing trustworthy and reliable guarantor services, ensuring that all elderly people can live their later years comfortably.

What is Akari Guarantee’s Lifelong Support (Guarantor Service)?

Japan is facing a rapid aging trend, with a particular increase in solitary elderly individuals and those without close relatives. By 2050, it is anticipated that the number of elderly individuals without children will exceed 10 million, among which over 4 million will have no family ties. As a result, more elderly individuals are finding it difficult to secure a guarantor for hospital stays or admission to care facilities, leading to limited access to essential services.

Traditionally, family members served as guarantors during hospital admissions and facilitated necessary arrangements posthumously. However, as family dynamics shift, many can no longer fulfill these roles. Consequently, there has been a surge in guarantor service providers that act in place of family members, taking on these essential responsibilities.

Despite the rising demand for such services, the guarantor service industry faces significant challenges. Key issues include a lack of government oversight and regulatory frameworks for consumer protection, an increase in contract disputes—such as unreturned deposits or service failures—and varying quality due to the proliferation of small providers, including those lacking ethical standards. According to the Japan National Consumer Affairs Center, consultations regarding guarantor services have tripled over the last five years, revealing numerous financial disputes over refunds and service delivery failures.

In response to these challenges, Akari Guarantee works alongside legal and caregiving professionals to provide reliable services. A team of lawyers and judicial scriveners, with expertise in caregiving and healthcare, delivers comprehensive, high-quality support tailored to the individual needs of older adults, while also partnering with nurses and care managers to ensure enriched life support services, including emergency responses.

Moreover, Akari Guarantee adheres to the “Guidelines for Lifelong Support Providers for the Elderly,” formulated by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The company prioritizes transparency regarding services and fees and ensures that important information is clearly communicated during the contract process to maintain a reputable operation.

Akari Guarantee is also contributing to the establishment of Japan's first industry association, the “National Association of Lifelong Support Providers for Elderly,” planned to be inaugurated in November 2025. The organization remains steadfast to its mission of ensuring that all elderly individuals can live their golden years with confidence and security, providing trustworthy and dependable guarantor services.

Main Users:

• - Elderly individuals living alone without reliable relatives
• - Couples without children
• - Individuals with distant or complicated family relationships
• - Solo individuals ages 40-60 contemplating end-of-life planning
• - Active members of the current generation supporting their aging parents (risk diversification)

Common Concerns:

• - Needing a guarantor due to lack of family
• - Wanting to relieve family of burdens related to post-mortem arrangements
• - Requesting assistance for parents’ end-of-life planning
• - Being denied hospital admission due to absence of a guarantor
• - Wishing to enter a nursing home but struggling to find a guarantor
• - Lacking a trusted individual for posthumous tasks

Sadly, the current social system and legal framework have not fully adapted to these realities.

Akari Guarantee’s Support System

Akari Guarantee collaborates with professionals, including lawyers, judicial scriveners, nurses, caregivers, and care managers, to assist in fulfilling roles that families traditionally provided. They offer a wide range of essential services, including:

• - Serving as a guarantor during hospital stays and facility admissions
• - Providing emergency responses and attending surgeries
• - Handling funerals, cremation, and sorting of belongings

In summary, Akari Guarantee stands out as a beacon of support for elderly and disabled individuals lacking family connections, delivering trustworthy guarantor services in compliance with national guidelines. The organization aims to create a society where everyone can approach their later years with peace of mind.

Visit Akari Guarantee Official Website
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