In modern Japanese society, the proportion of elderly is increasing, and their health status and lifestyle are becoming more diverse. Despite improvements in treatment options, many elderly become bedridden or succumb to vegetative states. In Japanese society, there are inconsistencies regarding treatment decisions among those involved with respect to ways of thinking and sense of values. It could be said that medical care for the elderly is in a state of chaos. Moreover, there is no strict consensus regarding what defines an "elderly" individual, nor from which point in life the "elderly" period begins. There is also substantial variety within the elderly population. In 1947, the average lifespan of Japanese people exceeded 50 years of age, and this was merely 60 years ago. In this context, one can say that society and medical ethics have failed to catch up with this increased lifespan. Such a medically and socially unprecedented aging society prompts a reexamination of how the inevitable "four sufferings" of humanity should be dealt with. This entails achieving medical care for the elderly that is neither excessive nor insufficient. In this paper, I consider just medical care for the elderly from perspectives gained from reexamining the ambiguity of the concept and categorization of the "elderly" individual. I argue that futile prolongation of life should be avoided and instead medical care that values personal dignity should be promoted. I then conclude that concepts such as "natural," "senility," and "peaceful death" should be acknowledged and valued. The modern medicine should also accept the existence of death of old age (Rousui) again.
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