Contributing the Super-Aging Society Through Our Business

The rate at which Japan's population is aging continues to accelerate even after having become a super-aged society in 2010. In October 2022, the aging rate reached 29.0%*, and is estimated to exceed 30% by 2030. The rapidly advancing trend toward a super-aged society is an important social issues Japan faces. In addition, concentration of the population in Tokyo and depopulation of rural areas due to declining birthrate and aging population have become nationwide issues. To help solve these issues, Sumitomo Forestry is developing the elderly care business as a response to a super-aged society, and is promoting regional revitalization projects in response to the over concentration of people in Tokyo and the depopulation of rural areas. In the elderly care business, we are making use of the experience and knowledge in creating comfortable living spaces that we have cultivated in the housing business. We apply this know-how as we strive to enhance both quality and quantity in implementing various services centering on enabling the elderly to continue living with vitality for every possible day in safely living environments.

*Source: The FY2023 Annual Report on the Ageing Society by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Expanding Services for Customer Need

Sumitomo Forestry provides long-term care for the elderly through Sumirin Fill Care Co., Ltd. and Sumirin Care Life Co.

In order to deliver the Sumitomo Forestry Group's high-quality services to as many customers as possible, the Group has set the goal of expanding the number of rooms it offers in the Mid-Term Sustainability Targets. In 2023, the total number of living spaces increased to 1,842 rooms following the opening of new facilities.

Sumirin Fill Care's Nursing Care Service Business for the Elderly

Sumirin Fill Care provides comprehensive services to each resident through staff arrangement that exceeds the number required under nursing care insurance standards. In October 2023, we opened a new private elderly care facilities with nursing care, Grand Forest Denenchofu, and as of December 2023, the company operates 17 private elderly care facilities with nursing care and 844 rooms. The company also operates a total of three day care centers for the elderly and offers in-house support services.

Sumirin Fill Care's Nursing Care Service Business for the Elderly

Sumirin Care Life has operated three large-scale private elderly care facilities with nursing care in Kobe that combine independent living and nursing care services up until now. Sumirin Care Life has at least double the number of staffs on duty as required under nursing care insurance standards. The company provides a high level of overall services with staff on site 24 hours a day and partnerships with participating general hospitals at all of its facilities. The quality of service has earned high praise from external institutions. Elegano Nishinomiya, a private elderly care facility with nursing care with 309 rooms and peripheral services, opened in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture in May 2020. Four facilities, including Elegano Nishinomiya, bring the number of living spaces available to a total of 998 rooms. The company also operates a total of seven Service Stations offering in-home nursing such as visiting nurse services, and day-care services to support day-to-day living.

The total number of living spaces
FY2024 Target

1,842 rooms

The total number of living spaces
FY2023 result

1,842 rooms

Safe and comfortable housing for customers and coexistence with nature
Grand Forest Denenchofu

Sumirin Fill Care Co., Ltd. values the warmth of "people" and "wood" and supports for safe, secure and comfortable living by nursing care staff, nursing staff, and other professionals, and strive to provide homes that are full of wood textures in harmony with nature.

At the new facility, Grand Forest Denenchofu, we are bringing together the technologies and know-how of the Sumitomo Forestry Group to create a space surrounded by “wood,” while also promoting the provision of Sumirin Fill Care's own rehabilitation services and the use of ICT.

Forest Life, a unique rehabilitation service closely in tune with each and every resident

We offer "Lifestyle Rehabilitation" to maintain and improve daily functions, "Individual Rehabilitation" provided by resident functional training instructors according to each individual, "Recreation" services to enjoy daily life, and "Forest Life," a rehabilitation service that combines these. Not only nursing care workers, but also physical therapists and other professional staff work together to respond to the conditions and needs of residents and support their “personal lifestyles.”

Health support employing ICT

We introduced a resident monitoring system that employs ICT in all rooms, and the indoor environment, the sleep status of residents, and the status of activities in the room are converted into data. This “visualization” of resident data is used to prevent falls and to understand the situation of residents, effectively maintaining and improving their health. Moreover, by combining the functions of the elderly care record system and nurse call to share and coordinate daily information among staff, we can respond quickly to changes in residents and reduce the burden on workers. We introduced a medication management system in the form of an ICT device to prevent medication errors and forgetting to take medication.

Extensive use of wood and greenery in the interior and on the exterior

At Grand Forest Denenchofu, the interior features wood flooring from Sumitomo Forestry Crest Co., Ltd. The flooring material is gentle on bare feet to reduce the burden on the legs and hips, while creating a space with wooden textures where people can relax. In addition, Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping Co., Ltd. was contracted for the facility's exterior finishes and landscaping work. The landscaping is centered on native species that harmonize with the surroundings. The building is the first BELS★★★★*¹ and private nursing home to obtain ABIINC certification*² because of its design mindful of environmental conservation and biodiversity.

*1BELS (Building-Housing Energy- efficiency Labeling System):
BELS is one third-party evaluation system based on the Building-Housing Energy-Efficiency Labeling Guidelines (evaluation standards on labeling of the energy consumption performance for buildings) defined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The Association for Housing Performance Evaluation & Labeling runs this certification. The system objectively evaluates energy efficiency to display a five-tier star rating. BELS stands for the Building-Housing Energy-efficiency Labeling System.

*2ABINC certification system:
This is a system the Association for Business Innovation in harmony with Nature and Community (ABINC) certifies the results of biodiversity conservation efforts in order to encourage companies to coexist with nature and people. The certification targets factories, office buildings, commercial facilities, multi-family housing, logistics facilities, and detached house complexes, among others, as buildings that are biodiversity-friendly or have landscaping planned or arranged.

Combining Sumitomo Forestry Group Living Environments and Nursing Care Expertise
－Elegano Nishinomiya－

At Sumirin Care Life, we are working to enhance the living environment so that each resident can lead a unique and fulfilling life, while the nursing and care workers, external medical institutions, specialist lecturers, nutritionists and care managers work together to promote the provision of high-quality services.

Elegano Nishinomiya is a mixed-use facility combining our own nursing-care insurance business. The facility also offers a lifestyle program that brings the peace of mind necessary for nursing-care to a wide range of residents from those living independently to those needing assisted living or nursing care. A variety of innovations are intended to help all residents live more energetic lives.

Use of Living Environments Expertise

These facilities employ the living environment expertise cultivated at the Sumitomo Forestry Group. The vaulted dining room where daily meals are served has a private Japanese-style dining space where residents may share meals with their family surrounded by the warmth of wood. Elegano Nishinomiya also incorporated housing exteriors and a promenade (playground) emanating the feel of the changing seasons through a design created with the help of Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping. On the care floor terrace for residents requiring long-term care, there is a garden with flowers to enjoy while sitting in a wheelchair. The nursing care living spaces are equipped with bedside tables that encourage more pleasant sleep through the power of wood and indirect lighting (founded in research and development results from Tsukuba Research Institute). In addition, all units are equipped with an emergency call system. Wi-Fi is also provided in standard units to ensure a safe, secure, and comfortable living environment.

Full Medical and Health Support

Medical support is available to all residents through an MRI brain scan for the early detection of dementia and tumor maker tests that help with the early detection of cancer. To maintain the health of residents, the exercise room provides water beds that offer massages through the power of water and various other prevention training machines right for seniors in addition to lessons from sports instructors.

Programs to Enhance Your Life

In the liberal arts, we offer a range of programs from traditional board games like Go and mahjong, to art s such as watercolor painting, calligraphy and flower arrangement classes. Skilled artisans teach the programs and beginner or a person who requires long-term care can enjoy these programs according to their skill level and health. In cooperation with Kobe College, we also hold regular concerts by college and graduate students majoring in music.