Interview

Revolutionizing Elderly Care: Maiko Ito and Takashi Miyamoto of Zenkoukai on the Future of Nursing Through Technology

Amid widespread labor shortages across industries, the nursing care sector faces a particularly urgent crisis that deepens each year. How can productivity be boosted while still providing attentive, compassionate care to those in need? Increasingly, the adoption of nursing care robots and ICT is being seen as a promising solution to this pressing industry challenge.

In this issue, Mr. Takashi Miyamoto, Chief Operating Officer of Zenkoukai Social Welfare Corporation—an organization leading the way in adopting nursing care technology, including robots and ICT devices (hereafter referred to as nursing care tech)—joins Ms. Maiko Ito, a researcher and actor who completed doctoral research on medical and welfare robots at Waseda University. Together, they discuss the challenges facing nursing care tech and their vision for the future of compassionate, effective caregiving.

Santa Fe Garden Hills, a comprehensive nursing facility run by Zenkoukai, has been proactive in implementing nursing care technology. But what prompted the decision to embrace this technology in the first place?

Takashi Miyamoto：
An aging society combined with a declining birthrate has led to a shrinking workforce, making caregiver shortages a pressing issue as the number of people needing care continues to grow. To address this challenge, the nursing care industry is increasingly compelled to adopt technology as a critical solution.

In 2009, our organization became the first in Zenkoukai to introduce the HAL motion-assistive device, inspired by a staff member’s interest in trying the technology. Since then, HAL has not only made the work environment more comfortable for our staff but has also eased the physical strain on patients.

Santa Fe Garden Hills has gained significant attention from industry peers as a facility equipped with cutting-edge technology. What kinds of nursing care technology are currently being implemented in the field?

Miyamoto：
A number of facilities are now using nursing care robots, such as the Hug transfer robot and the Sasuke lift-assist robot. We believe these technologies will not only relieve the physical strain on staff, especially on their legs and backs, but also provide patients with greater peace of mind during their care.

A popular vital-sign monitor, the Nemuri SCAN is placed under a patient’s mattress to track sleep patterns and vital signs remotely, without any physical contact. Another tool, the HitomeQ Care Support, uses a camera sensor to alert staff if a patient falls or makes any movements that require immediate attention.

Maiko Ito：
It’s amazing to see cutting-edge technology making its way into nursing care. My mother was in a nursing home, and as someone with experience on the user side, I really value systems that help residents live as comfortably and normally as possible. I especially like the thoughtful technology, like the gentle, contact-free sensors under mattresses and the room cameras that only notify staff when there’s unusual movement.

Miyamoto：
Nursing care services are meant to create a comfortable living environment. I believe the role of nursing care providers is to make this space as stress-free and comfortable as possible for both patients and their families. For example, devices like DFree, which predicts when a patient will need to use the bathroom, have been developed to make care more efficient. By allowing caregivers to provide assistance at the right time, this technology helps reduce the strain on both patients and caregivers.

Creating a positive environment for residents also makes for a better workplace for staff. For instance, the data collected by Nemuri SCAN can be viewed all at once on a screen, reducing the need for staff to make frequent rounds. The time and energy saved allow staff to provide better service, including more active communication with residents and less waiting time for assistance.

Ito：
It’s not unusual for caregivers to discover a resident has fallen in their room. In these situations, having data that provides a clear picture of what happened can offer reassurance to family members.

Miyamoto：
Yes, we do. In our facility, we use a variety of methods to communicate with family members. Some prefer a phone call, while others feel more comfortable receiving updates through chat or email, as they may worry about missing a call or taking too long to respond. We’re not focused on technology for its own sake; what matters to us is finding the best way to provide peace of mind to our residents and their families.

What first inspired each of you to get involved in the field of nursing care and welfare?

Miyamoto：
I joined Zenkoukai right after graduating. My university studies focused on healthcare, and I was drawn to this field because of the obvious social challenges brought on by an aging population and declining birthrate. Growing up in a rural area of Chiba Prefecture, I had many chances to interact with elderly people, which made me think that gaining experience in nursing care might allow me to eventually return and work in my hometown.

Ito：
At 45, I decided I wanted to give back to society, and I felt that engaging with academia would help me achieve that. So, I enrolled in university. From that point on, I focused on improving the well-being of older adults, believing that prevention is key to keeping life expectancy aligned with healthy life expectancy. After studying preventive medicine, I joined a robotics seminar and started working on developing a robot to help prevent locomotive syndrome—a condition where age-related muscle weakness, joint issues, and osteoporosis cause daily mobility challenges. In graduate school, I collaborated with a company to create a robot that assists with squatting, specifically designed for nursing care facilities. With guidance from mentors and support from collaborators, I eventually found myself on the path to a doctoral program.

Miyamoto：
That’s wonderful. I agree; it’s so important to take a preventive approach to help reduce the need for nursing care in the first place.

Ito：
After caring for both of my parents, I’ve come to realize how fortunate they are to be able to walk on their own right up until the end of their lives.

I heard that, in addition to introducing new nursing technology products, you’re also involved in co-developing them.

Miyamoto：
Sometimes we receive feedback that a product is difficult to use or was designed without a real understanding of the nursing care field or the needs of the users. Some developers enter the market expecting that technology developed for other fields will work well in nursing care. By sharing practical feedback from actual use in the field, we hope they can create better products that ultimately improve productivity and care quality.

What are your thoughts on the evolution of nursing care technology based on your experience in the nursing care and welfare fields? Could you also share the key ideas that have guided you in promoting the development of nursing care technology?

Ito：
When I first started developing the robot, I was also beginning to care for my father, who lived far away. I set up a basic monitoring sensor so I could be alerted if anything happened, but it didn’t completely ease my worry. Today, I saw a highly advanced system, and I was struck by how far the technology has come. If I’d had access to data that could track his condition and even predict potential issues, my peace of mind would have been on a whole different level. This progress is a result of the hard work and dedication of organizations like Zenkoukai and their partners in the tech industry.

Miyamoto：
The nursing care industry tends to rely heavily on precedents, so introducing new systems has often been challenging, as we’ve had to overcome obstacles one by one on the front lines. However, our organization values a culture of embracing new challenges, and we embraced the mindset of setting our own precedent if something hadn’t been done before, using it as evidence that it’s possible.

However, introducing sensing technology and the internet of things is just a means to an end. To fully harness the potential of this technology, we need skilled people who can effectively use it. In 2019, we launched a certification called Smart Caregiver to develop talent across the industry. This certification recognizes caregivers who can improve workplace efficiency by using care robots and sensors. We believe that developing skilled professionals is a critical need in the industry.

Ito：
I believe the reason I was able to keep pushing forward in the uncharted field of robot development was because I never lost sight of my goal: helping people stay on their own two feet, no matter what.

I think there are many people who, if left to a typical lifestyle, would lose muscle strength and end up nearly bedridden. My desire to help people live fulfilling and joyful lives has been the driving force behind developing this product.

Miyamoto：
At our facility, we care for residents who already need nursing support, yet we still want each person to fully enjoy life. That’s why our vision is “care that never gives up.” Often, when someone requires nursing care, both they and their families start to accept limitations, thinking, “I can’t do this” or “I can’t go there.” Even caregivers can fall into the mindset that “doing just this much is enough”—but we strive to go beyond that.

Our goal as a care facility is to create an environment where no one feels the need to give up. Through the use of technology and data to anticipate residents' needs, we can provide tailored care while easing the workload for our staff. I believe that by supporting our caregivers, we can create a positive space where residents can truly enjoy their time and keep smiling.

We also hope to develop our system as a model to share with nursing home operators nationwide, building a sustainable approach that will support the industry for the next 10 to 20 years.

▼ Profile
Maiko Ito
Actor & Researcher
CEO, Mai Company, Inc.
CEO, Light Staff, Inc.

Maiko Ito began her career as a pop idol in 1983 and is now active as an actor, while also leading a television production company. In 2010, she enrolled at Waseda University, where she researched medical robots aimed at preventing locomotive syndrome as part of her master’s program. Currently, she is a research student in the university’s graduate school, focusing on anti-aging science. In 2021, she served as a member of the Cabinet Office’s Council for Future Education.

Takashi Miyamoto
Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Facility Integration, Director of Supervising Facilities, Zenkoukai Social Welfare Corporation
CEO, Zenkou Research Institute

Takashi Miyamoto joined Zenkoukai in 2007 and stepped into his current role in 2017. In 2023, he established Zenkou Research Institute and became its CEO. He has been instrumental in developing care systems and digital training programs tailored to the needs of caregiving staff. Miyamoto also serves as an executive member of various industry organizations, sits on numerous committees for national and local governments, and participates as an expert in government councils, including the Regulatory Reform Promotion Council’s working group on healthcare, nursing care, and infectious disease control.