Participation in Community Gathering Places and Subsequent Care Costs in Older Adults: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study

With the aging population, community-based activities promoting social connections are increasingly encouraged internationally to delay functional decline. In Japan, “community gathering places” are municipally supported for disability prevention. However, whether participation in such programs reduces long-term care (LTC) costs, especially among older adults certified as requiring LTC insurance (LTCI) services, remains unclear. This study examined these associations using a municipal administrative database.