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Community gathering places are intended to support exercise and social participation for all residents, regardless of functional decline. They provide a foundation for mutual support and serve as a preventive care strategy to extend healthy life expectancy. These places may also help mitigate rising medical and long-term care (LTC) costs associated with an aging population.

However, existing evidence comes mainly from studies of functionally independent older adults, leaving a gap in understanding the effects of participation on those already experiencing functional decline.

To address this gap, associate professor Kazuki Uemura's research team at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science investigated the association between participation in community gathering places and subsequent long-term care costs among functionally independent older adults and those requiring support or exhibiting mild functional decline.

Using the National Health Insurance database known as the Kokuho Database from Toyonaka City, the researchers analyzed data from 9,489 adults ages 75 and older with and without Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) certifications. The team compared LTC costs over a two-year follow-up period between 428 participants and 9,061 nonparticipants in community gathering places.

1 lower for participants than for nonparticipants, indicating a potential annual reduction of approximately US$1,177. In contrast, the researchers found no statistically significant difference among functionally independent older adults without LTCI certification.

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