A private think tank has estimated that the number of homes owned by elderly people with dementia is more than 2.2 million nationwide, which is about 1 in 30 of all homes.
In some cases, due to the influence of the new corona virus, parents' dementia progresses before their children can meet, making it difficult to sell their homes.
The Daiichi Seimei Keizai Kenkyusho has compiled the first estimate of how many homes are owned by elderly people with dementia, based on national data on dementia and housing.
According to this, at this time, the number of homes owned by elderly people with dementia is 2.21 million, which is about 1 in 30 of all homes in Japan.
With the aging of society, the number of such homes is expected to increase further, and this estimate estimates that the number will increase to 2.8 million by 2040.
In some cases, it is difficult to sell a house for the elderly with dementia because the owner's judgment ability is not sufficient even after the owner enters a nursing care facility and becomes vacant.
In particular, from last year to this year, there are cases where parents' dementia has progressed before their children can meet due to the effects of the new coronavirus.
Takuya Hoshino, chief economist at Daiichi Seimei Keizai Kenkyusho, who made the estimation, said, "The housing for the elderly with dementia, which makes it difficult to sell on their own initiative, can be said to be a" vacant house reserve force. " There are many, but it is expected to increase more and more, and it will be important to take proactive measures before dementia. "
Mother's dementia progresses
From last year to this year, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, there have been cases where parents' dementia progressed while they could not meet their parents living far away, and the procedure for selling their parents' home was interrupted.
Mika Kawahara (58), who is from Hiroshima and lives in the United States, is one of them.
Kawahara's 82-year-old mother owned a room in a condominium in Hiroshima City and lived alone, but she decided to live in a long-term care facility because she fell and was injured. It was.
Mr. Kawahara, along with his younger brother, who also lives outside Hiroshima Prefecture, consulted with a real estate company and was proceeding with the procedure to sell the vacant room in order to cover the cost of long-term care.
However, during that time, the infection with the new coronavirus spread, and I could not meet my mother who lives in a long-term care facility for a while.
When I met online last December, my mother said she wasn't able to talk like she used to.
Looking back on those days, Mr. Kawahara said, "It was very different from my mother, and I felt like I was rolling down a hill and my condition was getting worse."
Then, in April this year, the mother was diagnosed with dementia.
Therefore, the procedure for selling the room in the condominium has been suspended because the intention of the owner's mother cannot be confirmed.
Even now, the room is still left with pots and dishes in the same condition as it was two years ago when my mother lived.
We need to sort things out, but due to the impact of the new Corona, that too remains suspended.
Mika said, "It was a shock to me that my mother couldn't judge by herself. It's hard not to understand that my mother might really want to do this. I don't think this will happen to Corona or dementia, and I wish I had acted earlier. "
Mr. Ritsuo Fujimoto, president of Tsubaki Real Estate in Hiroshima City, who is consulted by Mr. Kawahara, said, "Initially, I was proceeding with the procedure on the premise of my mother's judgment, but while I could not meet at Corona, something went wrong. It was decided that I couldn't make a contract myself. "
According to this real estate company, there are multiple cases where the procedure is delayed due to the owner's dementia.
President Fujimoto said, "There are an increasing number of cases where the sale of vacant houses may be affected while we cannot go to see our parents due to the influence of Corona."
Risks such as crime damage and fire
Houses whose owners have dementia and remain vacant are at risk of crime damage such as burglaries and fires.
For a man in his 60s who lives in the metropolitan area, his wife's parents' house in the same prefecture has been vacant for three years.
This is because my mother-in-law in her 80s who lived in this house has dementia and is moving into a long-term care facility.
The man visits regularly to manage his wife's vacant home, but last April he found a broken windowpane.
Inside the house, it seems that the drawer of the chest of drawers has been opened, and it seems that the cash has been stolen, and the police have been notified of the damage.
The man said, "When I noticed the damage, I felt that I was in trouble because he did something terrible. There are many vacant houses in the surrounding area and it is a quiet place, so it may have been hard to notice and aimed at." Was there.
Discuss while parents are fine
If the owner has dementia and his / her judgment ability is insufficient, he / she will not be able to sell the house based on his / her will, and it will be necessary to use the “adult guardianship system”.
When you file a complaint, legal and welfare specialists and relatives will be appointed by the family court as "adult guardians".
The "adult guardian" manages the property of the person and can also make a sales contract for the house on behalf of the person.
However, according to the Supreme Court, the number of users was only about 230,000 as of last year due to the complicated procedure and the ongoing cost.
According to Noriko Sugiya, a judicial scrivener who is familiar with this issue, even if the owner of a house has dementia, the adult guardianship system is not used and the house is often left vacant.
Mr. Sugiya said, "Even if a house sells with a guardian, it is not easy to use, so there are many cases where the house remains vacant without using the adult guardianship system. It cannot be used for nursing care costs and has a negative impact on the community, so I would like parents to discuss and take measures while they are healthy so as not to leave the house unoccupied. "
Utilization of family trusts and voluntary guardianship system
There is also a growing movement to prepare in advance in case parents who own a home have dementia.
Masako Ozeki (57), who lives in Chiba City, decided in April last year to discuss with her parents about her father's home where his father in his 80s lives alone, and to take measures in case his father's judgment ability deteriorates.
After consulting with a judicial scrivener, I decided to use a "family trust" and a "voluntary guardianship system."
The "family trust" is a system that entrusts the management of property to the family while they are healthy. Compared to the adult guardianship system, the trustee can manage a wide range of property such as real estate.
In addition, the "voluntary guardianship system" is a system in which a "voluntary guardian" who manages the property in case the judgment ability deteriorates is selected in advance.
Unlike the adult guardian who is selected by the family court after the judgment is weakened, the voluntary guardian can be selected at his / her own will.
After completing the procedure, Mr. Ozeki was reducing the number of visits to his parents' home to prevent infection with the new coronavirus, but in February, his father was injured and entered a long-term care facility.
At this time, the doctor diagnosed dementia.
Mr. Ozeki is considering selling his vacant home because he is worried about crime prevention.
Since we prepared in advance, it is expected that future procedures can proceed smoothly.
Mr. Ozeki said, "I didn't expect to be in a long-term care facility one year after taking measures. I was the father who said,'I'll do my best for another 10 years.' That day came suddenly. I'm glad I took measures early. "
Mr. Sugiya, a judicial scrivener, said, "If you do not take any measures, you will have a high risk. Even if you can not meet due to corona while your parents are healthy, I would like you to communicate firmly by telephone etc. And if necessary, I would like you to consult with experts such as scriveners, notaries, and lawyers to utilize family trusts and voluntary guardianship systems. "