The Japanese people now boast the world's greatest rate of longevity, and their average lifespan continues to grow. The inevitable result of this trend lies in changes in how people spend their twilight years.

One example of this is where and how we live. From the era in which people normally dwelled with their children, the trend toward the nuclear family has produced a new generation that prefers to live away from their parents, who themselves prefer to live separately from their offspring.

This shift is fueling projections for a steady increase in households comprised solely of senior citizens. The members of such family units will eventually grow old and feeble, with one of the partners passing away. The surviving members will naturally be plagued with doubts about their ability to continue to live as they have done.