Panasonic Holdings Corporation confirms improvement trends in caregiving prevention by using AI to create intervention plans and communicate with elderly individuals

Panasonic HD, together with ChangeWAVE Inc. and other partners, has been selected to work on one of the research and development themes under the "Development of Comprehensive Communication Platforms" initiative within Japan's Cabinet Office Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Phase 3. The company has embarked on the "Development of Digital Cohabitation Services Connecting the Elderly and Remote Family Members" project.

Against the backdrop of Japan's accelerating declining birthrate and aging population, the number of people aged 65 and over living alone is increasing. As these elderly individuals require increasing care, balancing work and caregiving becomes more difficult for their adult children – especially if they no longer live with their parents - leading to anticipated productivity losses at work. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry estimates that productivity losses caused by caregivers juggling work and caregiving will reach 9.2 trillion yen by 2030 ⁽*¹⁾, presenting a significant challenge not only for the elderly but also for the younger generation and the companies they work for.

Meanwhile, the ‘frailty’ period before care is needed is considered reversible ⁽*²⁾, and substantial evidence demonstrates that functional maintenance and recovery are possible by adopting proper health behaviors. However, awareness of this has not yet permeated society.

*1 Source: Management Guidelines for Work-Life Balance Support for Work and Caregiving

*2 Source: Japan's MHLW Public Relations Magazine "Kōsei Rōdō," November 2021

To address these challenges, this project aims to build an inclusive communication platform by enhancing social tolerance and promoting autonomy among elderly individuals. By improving social tolerance, the project seeks to create a society that reduces the need for caregiving and alleviates the burden on working caregivers. By promoting autonomy among elderly individuals, the initiative aims to enhance literacy in caregiving prevention and strengthen engagement between elderly individuals and younger generations.

Preventive care requires an understanding of the health status and living conditions of elderly individuals. In this project, Panasonic HD collects data capable of assessing physical risks, psychological risks, and social risks through AI chatbots and activity trackers. Additionally, based on expert analysis ⁽*³⁾ of the collected data, the company uses AI to determine individual challenges for each elderly individuals and appropriate intervention strategies for solving those challenges. Once the intervention strategies have been determined, the company provides ongoing support and suggestions through AI communication via chat, tailored to the elderly individuals’ personality traits and the local community resources ⁽*⁴⁾ available in their area, to encourage behavioral change.

Panasonic HD explores the possibility that this approach can change elderly individuals' behaviors, improve their physical and mental health, and provide peace of mind to the younger generation. In December 2024, Panasonic HD initiated a pilot intervention for effect verification of this project and began feasibility confirmation.

*3 Experts: Physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutrition specialists, social workers, etc.

*4 Community resources: Venues for activities such as classes, clubs, and volunteer opportunities (community gathering places) organized by local governments

As of the end of November 2025, Panasonic HD implemented effect verification of this project with the cooperation of 20 elderly individuals at the preventive care stage and their adult children. Comparing the pre-intervention baseline with the status after three months of intervention showed improvements in physical risk, psychological risk, social risk, nutrition, and overall assessment. Notably, the Dementia Awareness Checklist and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) suggested statistically significant improvement trends.

This verification demonstrated that improvements can be achieved through chat-based intervention rather than traditional face-to-face care, indicating the potential to expand preventive care services without substantial human support, even as the productive population that can provide such support continues to decline.

Furthermore, collaborations have begun with local governments aiming to extend healthy life expectancy and companies seeking to limit the number of working caregivers, thereby expanding this verification to include the confirmation of benefits for local governments and corporations.

These achievements, among others, will be showcased at Panasonic’s booth at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in January 2026, the world's largest technology show.

• Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP):
  https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/gaiyo/sip/
• Development of Inclusive Community Platforms:
  https://www.nibn.go.jp/sip3-housetsu/