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The road to the birth of "Regional Coloring Book" 

　The coloring book for the area was planned and produced by Mikkel Art's inventor, Ron Hashiguchi, with the idea of " Vitalizing the elderly with reduced motivation and those suffering from dementia." When we talk to the elderly who use the facility, they all cherish their memories of their hometown. Taking inspiration from that feeling, the theme is "nostalgic scenes in an important hometown" such as playgrounds and festivals as a child. It was commercialized in 2012 as a joint supervision with Dr. Usami, an occupational therapist who received many opinions in the production of coloring books. 

Coloring book of the area seen from the occupational therapist (Occupational therapist Yoshihiro Usami) 

There is an idea of occupational therapy that "people can get better by working". However, the work is not all right. The work can only be energetic if it is meaningful and valuable to the person. What is meaningful and valuable work for me? I don't think there are many people who can answer quickly when asked.

　

Human work is connected to the past, present and future. There is a past and now. There is now and it continues to the future. Looking back on the past, I now realize what I value, what is meaningful and valuable. I thought this was important. You can also notice the background (reason).

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By performing reminiscence while coloring the area, meaningful work and valuable work are verbalized. Then, the work you want to do, which was at an unconscious level, becomes conscious. If you make it clearer and make a plan so that you can do it concretely, you will be able to act independently.

Sensei Yoshihiro Usami

[Affiliation] Teikyo Heisei University  Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences  Occupational therapy department  Assistant professor

[Current academic society] Japan Occupational Therapists Association, Tokyo Occupational Therapists Association

[Research Fields] Occupational Therapy for Physical Disabilities, Occupational Therapy for Geriatric Disabilities, Collaboration between Professionals

[Main research items] Research on collaboration between occupational therapists and long-term care workers in special nursing homes for the elderly

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