Man commits suicide after killing his 92-year-old mother

What a terribly sad case. I'm speechless as to how abandoned by their own family and especially, society, this elderly woman and this man must have felt.

Terrible news...again.

This is getting really sick Japan. When will the jgov deal with this cultural trait.

Another tragic end to another desperate Japanese family. - Once again, when will the Japanese government wake up and deal with their own ‘epidemic of families in emotional, economic and mental health crisis’ ??

Jan 12, 2022: https://japantoday.com/category/crime/daughter-arrested-for-strangling-90-year-old-mother

I send my condolences to the poor father who will be shocked to know what happened after he returns from the hospital. News like these are the ones that wrenches the heart the most for me.

This is a sad and all too common scenario in Japan. It’s pretty obvious the government is not doing enough to support people with ailing parents.

This is a tragedy, but it is unfair to assume that these unfortunate people were 'abandoned by their own family'. How distant a relative would you leave your job, career and home to care for, prioritising them over your close family, your children and grandchildren? People need to work to pay their bills.

No nation has solved the problem of elderly care needs that comes with better medical support and the extension of life. It is incredibly difficult for most people in such positions to juggle the needs of younger family and older family, whilst bringing in enough cash to pay the bills.

Once dementia kicks in or a higher level of care is needed, it rapidly becomes impossible for family members to cope - professional care is required for 24/7 oversight. People are now living to an age at which their children are themselves too old to care for their parents. When you are in your 60s, how much diarrhea will you be able to get down on your knees and clean from the floor, before physically supporting, washing and drying an elderly parent, dressing them, and washing and ironing their clothes, before you make a meal for them and help them eat it? For how long would you cope, morning, noon and night?

Recent events - Covid, Brexit, border and migrant worker blocks - has made it harder to access affordable, trustworthy support.

We need governments to fund home support or residential care for the elderly when they begin to lose stability or mobility, find it difficult to look after themselves, or begin to suffer from dementia. It is as essential as basic healthcare and will have to be paid from higher taxes. Most of us will get to the age at which we have difficulty caring for ourselves. Backing government action is an investment in our own futures. Don't assume that your kids will be able to help you.

There seems to be a significant uptick in these types of crimes in Japan. One might say that Japan needs more care homes and hospice centers that are affordable or even free for those that can't afford it. Also, the people that work in these facilities shouldn't have to work for low wages. All too often these places rely on cheap labor from overseas.

Tragic news, the culture that puts 100% of the responsibility of taking care of elderly and sick in the familiy needs to change, proper support from the government and changing the image of failure when someone asks for help would have done much to prevent this.

Another murder, another suicide. And then there's the survivors to deal with it, and 2022 has just begun too. Very sad.

Looking after baby child is really hard, stressful and for some too much. Feeding, cooking , shopping , bathing, wondering , doing dangerous things.

Now apply that to an adult who may have Alzheimer’s but everything on a bigger scale, and the adult wondering around at night as they can turn day into night, leaving gas stoves, maybe incontinent , but adult sizes, then expecting their senior citizen to do that job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without a day off.

In some cases the carer even has to work, full time/part time. Nevertheless, a carer is a 24 hour job.

we also need to consider the carer who may also have their own health and financial problems on top of their stress or even depression.

The whole lot combined can put many over the edge, but the city hall scrimps and saves, and places the burden on sometimes a single carer.

Why wasn’t this family allocated a key worker to assess the carers needs.

With the amount of pension, health insurance and city taxes people pay throughout their whole working life you have to wonder why there is so little (affordable) support when it comes to aged care. I’ve known many people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s who have had to stop working to become full time caters of their ailing parents. They will openly state without any shame that they are just waiting for their parent/s to die so they can get their life back. This situation is only going to get worse as 30% of the population are over 60 and increasing every year. All this in a country that boasts how rich it is and how it cares for its aging population.

Cases like these are likely to skyrocket in the coming future since Japan has one fastest aging populations in the world. I don't understand why there is such a lack of resources for elderly care in Japan when again, they have a rapidly aging population. Where is all the taxpayers' money going??

Sadly the govt does little, yet we all have paid/pay a TON of yen but when you need help there is little on offer.

For decades now the govt simply lets people die at home alone, or family members kill each other, THAT is the govts solution....sadly it REALLY is.

And this future awaits ALL of us posting here who live in Japan....as I always ask, do YOU wanna grow old here.....it aint pretty!

@Lindsay Lets say perhaps the aging parent is getting a pension, the question is what is the surviving son or daughter doing with the pension. Is the money being used to pay for such services? Also if they are receiving a pension the question begs is the pension the parent is getting enough money to pay for in house hospice? Alot of posters are saying the son or daughters have to quit their jobs to care for their parents, I agree this could be the case but I am sure there is a number of people who parents get pensions and that money can be used to pay for perhaps home care. Just my thought?

With the amount of pension, health insurance and city taxes people pay throughout their whole working life you have to wonder why there is so little (affordable) support when it comes to aged care. I’ve known many people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s who have had to stop working to become full time caters of their ailing parents.