Copenhagen Honours College in Nursing Students Visit Azalee Group’s A-Cube Facility
Azalee Group recently had the pleasure of welcoming students from the Copenhagen Honours College in Nursing at the University College of Copenhagen. This visit, the fourth from the college, provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge and perspectives on elderly care, intergenerational integration, and inclusive caregiving practices.
Learning Through Observation and Discussion
The students began their visit with a tour of Azalee Annex, where they observed how personalized elderly care is provided in a comfortable and supportive environment. They then explored A-Cube, where they learned about the integration of elderly care, childcare, and disability services. The students observed how shared spaces and activities encourage meaningful interactions between different generations, fostering mutual support and social engagement. They also had the opportunity to see how caregivers adapt their approach to meet the diverse needs of residents, creating an environment where individuals of all abilities can thrive together.
Following the tour, the students attended a lecture by Dr. Koji Kurusu, CEO of Azalee Group, who shared the organization’s philosophy of balancing technology with a strong foundation in basic, hands-on care. The discussion emphasized the importance of daily essentials such as nutrition, hydration, and movement in maintaining the well-being of elderly individuals.
Reflections from the Visitors
Niels Sandholm, Head of Research and Associate Professor for the nursing program, noted that the visit was inspiring, particularly the way intergenerational care and inclusivity are embedded into daily life. He emphasized that one of the most meaningful takeaways was the focus on basic care—nutrition, hydration, and exercise—which is naturally integrated into everyday routines.“We are very grateful for the opportunity to visit Azalee Group with our honors students. It is inspiring to see how intergenerational care and inclusivity are embedded into daily life here. One of the key takeaways for us is the focus on the basics—nutrition, hydration, and exercise are naturally integrated into care, and that is something we find very meaningful.”
Nursing student Cecilie Brandt Lund observed how physical activity is incorporated into different care settings and expressed interest in applying this approach in Denmark to help maintain residents’ activity levels and support their sense of purpose and independence.“What stood out to me was how physical activity is incorporated into different care settings. I hope to bring this learning back to Denmark—to encourage and maintain residents’ activity levels and support their sense of purpose and independence.”
Looking Ahead
We are grateful for the opportunity to share our approach to care with students and educators from around the world and look forward to welcoming another group from the Copenhagen Honours College in Nursing in the fall. Through these visits, we hope to continue learning from one another and exploring ways to improve care for elderly individuals and people with diverse needs.
About Azalee Group
Azalee Group provides a wide range of elderly care services, including nursing homes, rehabilitation, and home care support, with a focus on community-based integration. More information.
A-Cube is a multi-generational care facility that integrates elderly care, childcare, and disability support services, fostering an inclusive community and innovative caregiving solutions. Learn more.
Get in touch
We love to collaborate. Please get in touch via the contact form below and explore how we can work together.
Dr. Raphael Olaiya 氏 A-Cube視察を通じて統合ケアの理解を深めるために来日
2月7日、A-Cubeは英国から訪日中のDr. Raphael Olaiya 氏をお迎えし、関西学院大学大学院経営戦略研究科の石原俊彦教授とその夫人とともに施設を視察いただきました。医師であり、研究者、さらにはテレビパーソナリティとしても活躍するDr. Olaiya 氏は、統合ケアの発展について学ぶために訪問されました。
Dr. Raphael Olaiya 氏は、NHS（英国国民保健サービス）で主任データサイエンティストを務める医療専門家・データサイエンティストです。2015年にリバプール大学で医学学士号を取得し、その後、ユニバーシティ・カレッジ・ロンドンでデータサイエンスとコンピューターサイエンスの修士号を修了しました。AI（人工知能）、VR（仮想現実）、AR（拡張現実）などの先端技術を医療に統合し、臨床成果の向上に貢献しています。また、双子の兄弟であるDr. Daniel Olaiya 氏と共に、BAFTA受賞歴を持つCBBCの人気番組『Operation Ouch!』の共同ホストを務め、若年層に医療科学の魅力を伝えています。
視察では、アゼリーリハビリ倶楽部にて高齢者がマッスルスーツを使用しながら運動する様子を見学し、TOPPANが開発した床材について説明を受けました。また、アゼリー保育園を訪れ、子どもたちとの交流を深め、障がい者支援サービスの様子も視察しました。さらに、バリアフリートイレやスヌーズレンルームを見学し、利用者の快適性とアクセシビリティ向上への取り組みを理解いただきました。日英の高齢者ケアの違いや、今後の協力の可能性についても活発な意見交換が行われました。
Dr. Olaiya 氏は視察後、次のようにコメントしています。次のようなコメントを頂きました。
「A-Cubeは、データサイエンスと最先端の医療技術を駆使し、生活の質（QOL）の向上を最優先に考えることで、新たな時代の医療サービスデザインを切り拓いています。経営陣の卓越した学術的・臨床的専門性と包括的な健康ビジョン、長期的な視点が融合し、若年層から高齢者までを包み込む、まるで家族のような環境を生み出しています。A-Cubeの国際的な協力姿勢は、世界中の医療機関やリーダーにインスピレーションを与えています。」
今回の視察を通じて、統合型医療ソリューションの価値や国際的な協力の可能性が改めて確認されました。A-Cubeは今後も、高齢者ケア、保育、障がい者支援の分野において革新を進め、ベストプラクティスを世界と共有していきます。
アゼリーグループについて アゼリーグループは、地域密着型の統合ケアを提供し、特別養護老人ホーム、リハビリテーション、在宅介護支援など幅広い高齢者福祉サービスを展開しています。詳細はこちら：https://azalee.or.jp/about/
A-Cubeについて
A-Cubeは、高齢者ケア、保育、障がい者支援を統合した多世代共生型のケア施設であり、包摂的なコミュニティと革新的な介護ソリューションを提供しています。
A-Cubeの取り組みに関心をお持ちの方は、ぜひ視察をご検討ください。お問い合わせをお待ちしております。
お問い合わせ
Azalee Group Hosts Dr. Raphael Olaiya at A-Cube to Explore Advancements in Integrated Care in Japan
On February 7th, A-Cube hosted Dr. Raphael Olaiya from the UK, accompanied by Professor Toshihiko Ishihara from Kwansei Gakuin University’s Graduate School of Business Administration and his wife. Dr. Olaiya, a medical professional, researcher, and television personality, visited to explore advancements in integrated care.
Dr. Raphael Olaiya is a medical professional and data scientist, currently serving as a Lead Data Scientist with the NHS. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from the University of Liverpool in 2015 and completed a Master’s degree in Data Science and Computer Science at University College London. He has contributed to healthcare by integrating artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality into medical applications. In addition to his professional work, he co-hosts the BAFTA award-winning CBBC show Operation Ouch! alongside his twin brother, Dr. Daniel Olaiya.
During the visit, the delegation observed elderly participants at the Rehabili Club using the muscle suit, engaging in physical exercises, and learning about innovative flooring technology developed by Toppan. They also visited Azalee Nursery School to interact with children and observed disability support services. The group explored the accessible toilet and snoezelen room, designed to enhance comfort and accessibility. Discussions focused on differences between elderly care in the UK and Japan, as well as opportunities for collaboration.
Dr. Olaiya stated: “A-Cube is ushering in a new and evolved age of healthcare service design with critical data science, cutting-edge health technology, and a prioritization of quality of life. The management team’s academic and clinical excellence, combined with their holistic health vision and long-term perspective, creates an environment that feels like a family—embracing the young and the elderly in an optimally inclusive way. A-Cube’s global collaborative approach is inspiring healthcare organizations and healthcare leaders worldwide.”
The visit highlighted the value of integrated healthcare solutions and the potential for international collaboration. A-Cube remains committed to advancing elderly care, childcare, and disability support services, fostering innovation, and sharing best practices worldwide.
Azalee Group provides a wide range of elderly care services, including nursing homes, rehabilitation, and home care support, with a focus on community-based integration. More information: https://azalee.or.jp/en/
A-Cube is a multi-generational care facility that integrates elderly care, childcare, and disability support services, fostering an inclusive community and innovative caregiving solutions. More details: https://azalee.or.jp/a-cube-a-model-for-integrating-childcare-nursing-and-disability-services-in-japan/
Get in touch
We love to collaborate. Please get in touch via the contact form below and explore how we can work together.
中国・湖南省の看護教育視察団がアゼリーグループのA-Cube施設を訪問
1月16日、アゼリーグループのA-Cube施設に、中国・湖南省からの視察団をお迎えしました。視察団には、大众卫生报（大衆衛生報）、中南大学、长沙博雅卫生中等专业学校（長沙博雅衛生中等専門学校）、湖南中医药大学（湖南中医薬大学）の代表者が含まれていました。
近年、中国の養成校でも地域向けのデイサービスの運営が進められており、今回の訪問では、日本の高齢者ケア・保育・障がい者支援を統合した取り組みについて学んでいただきました。視察団は、A-Cubeでの世代間交流プログラムを見学し、マッスルスーツを活用したリハビリや安全床などの最新技術を体験。また、介護人材育成や地域密着型ケアの在り方について、活発な意見交換が行われました。
A-Cubeは、アゼリーグループが運営する先進的な地域共生複合施設で、高齢者・園児・障がい者が共に過ごし、支え合う環境を提供しています。最新の介護技術を取り入れながら、世代や障がいの有無を超えた交流を促進し、誰もが安心して暮らせる社会の実現を目指しています。
A-Cubeへの視察にご興味のある方は、ぜひお気軽にお問い合わせください。
私たちは、介護と地域福祉の未来に向けた国際的な知見交換や協力を歓迎しています。
A-Cube Hosts October Community Kitchen Event to Strengthen Local Ties
In October, A-Cube was pleased to host its latest community initiative, a monthly community kitchen designed to bring local families together in a warm, supportive setting. This event offered a brief respite from busy schedules, allowing families to enjoy a nutritious meal and connect in an inclusive environment.
A Menu for Community Enjoyment
For this event, A-Cube’s staff and members of both the elder care day service and disability day support service prepared a menu crafted with care and attention to detail, featuring nutritious, comforting dishes such as rice balls, pumpkin croquettes, hearty pork miso soup, and a fresh fruit salad. Each item was selected to appeal to all ages, while also prioritizing balanced nutrition, reinforcing A-Cube’s commitment to promoting health and well-being.
A key objective of the community kitchen was to create a space where families could relax and recharge. Recognizing the many responsibilities modern families manage, A-Cube seeks to provide a supportive setting where parents could unwind, connect with other families, and enjoy time with their children.
Building Connections Through Shared Experiences
A-Cube’s community kitchen highlights the positive impact of shared experiences on community building. By gathering around a shared meal, families were able to engage meaningfully, fostering connections that extended beyond the event itself. Parents found common ground in their shared experiences of raising children, while the children delighted in the meal. As an integrated facility that combines services for children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities, A-Cube emphasizes inclusivity as a core value, there were plenty of opportunities to interact with seniors and people with disabilities over the meal.
A-Cube remains dedicated to organizing events and initiatives that encourage community engagement and support. The community kitchen event is one part of A-Cube’s larger strategy to build a robust, connected community where families and individuals from diverse backgrounds can come together.
As we look to the future, we hope to continue to serve as a hub for community building and support, welcoming families and individuals to gather, connect, and share experiences. We hope to see you at our dinner table!
Preparing to Celebrate Summer with Inclusion and Community at A-Cube
At Azalee Group’s A-Cube facility, we are excited to prepare for our upcoming Summer Festival, scheduled for the week of July 8. This annual event brings together children from Azalee Nursery School, participants from our disability day programs, and seniors from Azalee Rehabilitation Club and embodies our commitment to fostering an inclusive and interactive community where everyone can have fun together.
A Week of Fun and Connection
The Summer Festival is a highlight of our calendar, filled with activities designed to bring joy and engagement to all participants. This year, we are particularly proud of the collaborative efforts that have gone into the preparations.
Making Memories with Plum Syrup
In preparation for the festival, our 5-year-old nursery school children teamed up with seniors and individuals with disabilities to create homemade plum syrup. This syrup will be used to flavor shaved ice, a traditional and refreshing treat often found at Japanese festivals.
The children, guided by their teachers and assisted by the seniors and participants with disabilities, learned how to remove the stems from the plums and prepare them for syrup-making. Through the activity of removing plum stems and binning them in sugar, the seniors and nursery school children were able to naturally deepen their interactions.
The festival will feature a variety of activities, from games and crafts to dances and, of course, the much-anticipated shaved ice treat with our homemade plum syrup.
Embracing Our Inclusive Mission
At Azalee Group, our mission is to create an environment where everyone, regardless of age or ability, can thrive and find joy. The Summer Festival is a testament to this mission, showcasing the benefits of diversity and inclusion. By bringing together nursery school children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities to enjoy special cultural events, we aim to create a community where everyone learns, grows, and has fun together.
Get in touch
We love to share what we are doing. Please get in touch via the contact form below and explore how we can work together.
Intergenerational Event: Bringing Together 4-Year-Olds and Seniors for a Day of Fun
Recently, the A-Cube facility of the Azalee Group hosted a wonderful intergenerational event that brought together 4-year-old children and seniors. This special event allowed different generations to share joyful moments and create lasting memories.
A Musical Gift from the Children
The event began with a delightful musical performance by the 4-year-old children. Their cheerful singing brought smiles to the faces of the seniors, filling the room with warmth and happiness. The pure energy of the children created an uplifting atmosphere that everyone enjoyed.
Intergenerational Jenga Game
Next, the children and seniors paired up for a Jenga game using cardboard and paper cups. The teams competed to see who could stack the highest or finish the fastest. This game was not only fun but also a great opportunity to learn about teamwork and communication.
It was especially heartwarming to see the children seeking advice from the seniors and the seniors encouraging the children’s creativity. These moments of intergenerational cooperation showcased the joy of achieving something together.
The Importance of Intergenerational Interaction
Events like this embody the core values of the Azalee Group, which emphasizes the importance of intergenerational interaction. Through these interactions, children learn respect and gratitude, while seniors receive energy and hope from the children.
The A-Cube facility plans to continue hosting events that bring together different generations. By fostering an inclusive environment where people from diverse backgrounds can interact, we aim to build a richer, more understanding community.
We hope that these initiatives contribute to creating a better future for all our participants—children, seniors, and everyone in between.
Get in touch
We love to share what we are doing. Please get in touch via the contact form below and explore how we can work together.
保育・教育関係者対象の講演会
STEAMとは、Science（科学）Technology（技術）Engineering liberal Arts（工学）Art（芸術・教養）Mathematics（数学）この５つの頭文字を取ったもので、教科を横断的に学び、創造力・論理的に思考することで未知の課題やその解決方法を見出す教育手法のことです。
近年、グローバル化やデジタル化が進み、社会は劇的に変化を続けています。子どもたちがこれまでと同じ教育内容・同じ方法で知識を身に付けていっては将来、変化が激しいこの世の中を強く生き抜くことはできないでしょう。
そこで私たちが考えるSTEAM保育で育みたい２つの力は、
「アクティブラーニング」わからないことがあれば自分で考え、行動する力
「エデュテイメント」何か出来そうな予感にワクワクしながら学びに向かえる力です。
STEAM保育を実践することで子どもたちが自ら考えようとするきっかけを作り、遊びながら学ぶ楽しさを伝えていきたいと思っています。
ご予約：
https://forms.gle/4ydzHAuSToKUxgdeA
お問合せ：
Azalee Group STEAM保育プロジェクト
steam@azalee.or.jp
A-Cube: a model for integrating childcare, nursing, and disability services in Japan
Azalee Group, headquartered in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, on August 1, 2023, reopened “A-Cube,” which integrates nursing, childcare, and disability services.
Background
Globally, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are progressing. In line with Edogawa Ward’s slogan “Living Together, Edogawa Ward,” efforts are underway to realize an inclusive society. Azalee Group has been managing childcare and nursing services for over twenty years and aspires to actualize an inclusive society where “no one is left behind and people support each other.” This led to the creation of A-Cube in Edogawa Ward, a facility co-housing childcare, nursing, and disability services.
A-Cube Chief Producer, Josh Grisdale Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Member of the Committee for Facilitating Mobility / Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Member of the Research Project on Travel Support for the Elderly in Need of Care / Edogawa Ward Member of the Edogawa Future Conference / Edogawa Ward Member of the Committee for Establishing a Mobility Facilitation Policy
Key Features:
Childcare and Education Services
Azalee Nursery School: Focuses on “self-esteem nurturing care” for infants and “education-focused care” for older children. It incorporates “STEAM education” within experiential activities, providing educational childcare through play. In collaboration with the NPO KultureCity®, it’s the first facility in Asia to be certified as sensory inclusive, offering a “Calm Down Room (Snoezelen Room)” equipped with gentle sensory materials.
Azalee Famille Nursery School: Caters to children aged 0-2, enabling staff with children to work while their children are cared for. The staff includes approximately 10% foreign nationals.
After School Club Azalee Academia Shin-Koiwa: Offers after-school care aligned with parents’ work schedules, focusing on “STEAM education” and experiential learning, including programming, Go classes, English lessons with foreign instructors, and various summer programs that foster curiosity and problem-solving skills.
Nursing Services
Azalee Rehabilitation Club: Introduced “Rehabilitation × Muscle Suit,” developed by Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi of Tokyo University of Science. This suit helps the elderly maintain a healthy posture by resetting the pelvic position.
Safety Floor: Developed in collaboration with Professor Yasumi Ito of the University of Yamanashi and Toppan Printing, this floor material reduces fall impact by 45%, lowering the risk of fractures, a major cause of immobility in the elderly.
Azalee Cocokara Plaza: Activities targeting relatively healthy elderly individuals and focus on building a sense of purpose, physical fitness, and engaging in hobbies.
Disability Services
Azalee Rehabilitation Club for Integrated Life Care: Launched in August 2023, this service provides essential community support including bathing services for adults with disabilities. It fosters natural interactions between childcare children, after-school club attendees, and elderly day service users.
Introduction Video
About Koujukai
Founded 25 years ago by Dr. Koji Kurisu, Koujukai consists of social welfare, educational, and medical corporations. Driven by his experiences in nursing care, Dr. Kurisu established the corporation with a vision to provide services that enrich lives and embody the essence of living. The group continues to expand its services tailored to local and user needs, centering on welfare, medical care, and education in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.
Get in touch
We love to collaborate. Please get in touch via the contact form below and explore how we can work together.
ふと手に取ったパンフで思うこと。
整理をしていた際、ふとパンフレットのファイルが目に留まり、手に取り1冊1冊見てみると、ここ15年間の間に作成されたものでした٩( •̀ω•́)و
江寿会はこの4月で21年目を迎えたわけですが、その2/3の歴史や歩みがそこに詰まっていました。ページの中の多くが当時のシーンとして蘇ってきて、何とも言えない感情に包まれました。
昔のパンフレットはタイムカプセルのような存在で、一瞬で過去とつながるんですね(⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)
『人づくりは生涯を通してなされるもの』と、どこかで耳にしたことがありますが、未来へ向けて前へ向かう努力は続けていきたいな…と歴代のパンフレットを見てふと感じました。
