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It sounds like the responsibility of social welfare workers is
ever-increasing.
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Ikeda
It is going to be increasingly inevitable that one may not be able to
complete one's life without the assistance of a social welfare worker at one
time or another. In the West, where contractual conduct has been the basis
of society, this is not a strange concept. But in Japan, there are not too
many people who have been exposed to such a contractually-organized way of
life. Elderly people, especially, will feel uncomfortable in the
cut-and-dry contractual arrangements necessary in choosing, analyzing and
selecting the services they need and undoubtedly will haggle with service
providers
Another aspect is the relationship between service provider and recipient.
This kind of relationship is equal only if a recipient has his or her own
financial resources and intact will power. Moving into a Western type
"rough" world will not be easy for everyone. Some people may not be
comfortable with this kind of world. Others may not able to live with it,
even if they are willing to try. As I see it, in the West, social workers
have been functioning well in accommodating these kinds of problems. The
tasks we face now in Japan are thus quite demanding. The Association is
organizing training programs to provide the necessary skills and tools for
its members, well as redefining moral and ethical standards.
It seems that the guardianship system will mean a lot in an era of the
self liable society.
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Ikeda
We are now experiencing a period of transition, and Japan may one day
develop its own definition of a welfare society. Irrespective of this,
however, it is urgent that we develop measures now to support the voiceless
elderly who are not competent to make thoughtful decisions on their own and
who will become the immediate target of the new guardianship system. If the
system does not serve the voiceless and incompetent, then it is of no use
at all. The gist of the new guardianship system is that it must assure the
public that it will protect those who lack the ability and/or the will
power to make their own judgments. To do this, a variety of devices must
be built in the system to assure the rights and protection of needy
individuals. Our Association should develop guidelines which will be
instrumental in providing the necessary services to those who are limited in
terms of the ability to pay the financial costs of services themselves.
Here, we can learn from officials and the national guardianship systems
operating in other countries.
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