Interfaith Spaces in Elderly Care: Lessons from JS Festival
The 1st National Elderly Welfare Facility Conference and Research Meeting, known as JS Festival in Tochigi, brought together aged-care practitioners, facility managers, researchers and specialist suppliers from across Japan. Its programme combined research presentations, practical workshops, networking, study tours and an exhibition of products and services. The event website records the professional setting in which these exchanges took place.
One particularly valuable theme was the Study Tour to a Facility with Interfaith Spaces: Design and Usage. For Australian aged-care leaders, the visit offers a useful way to consider how architecture, cultural inclusion and daily care can support residents with different religious traditions, spiritual practices and personal beliefs.
Why Shared Spiritual Spaces Matter
Aged-care homes are increasingly expected to support more than clinical needs. Residents may wish to pray, meditate, observe a religious calendar, speak with a faith leader or spend quiet time away from communal activities. A dedicated spiritual care room can make these choices easier without requiring a resident to travel across a large site or ask staff for special arrangements each time.
The idea is especially relevant in Australian cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, where aged-care communities may include people from Greek, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. A room designed for flexible use can accommodate a broad range of customs without presenting one faith as the default.
Interfaith provision also recognises that spirituality is personal. Some residents may belong to an organised religion, while others may value reflection, nature, music or connection with family traditions. The best spaces are therefore welcoming without being visually or operationally tied to a single denomination.
What the Tochigi Study Tour Examined
A facility study tour allows professionals to see how an idea works in practice rather than relying on photographs or a design brief. Participants can observe the location of the room, the route from bedrooms and dining areas, the level of privacy, storage arrangements and the way staff explain the space to residents and visitors.
Design and usage are closely connected. A beautifully finished room may remain empty if it is difficult to find, feels too formal or is treated as a restricted area. Conversely, a modest room can become meaningful when staff understand its purpose, residents know they are welcome and the facility has clear procedures for shared use.
The tour also encouraged discussion between disciplines. Researchers might focus on dignity, participation and wellbeing; managers may consider staffing, risk and maintenance; practitioners can describe real resident preferences; and suppliers can demonstrate adaptable furniture, acoustic treatments, lighting and signage. This exchange reflects the wider purpose of JS Festival as a meeting point between evidence and everyday care.
Practical Features That Support Inclusion
An interfaith or reflection room needs to work for people with different mobility levels, sensory needs and cultural practices. The following features can help create a space that is calm, accessible and straightforward to manage:
- Step-free access, wide doorways, stable flooring and enough turning space for wheelchairs and walkers
- Adjustable lighting, good ventilation and acoustic separation from busy corridors
- Furniture that can be moved or removed for prayer, meditation, small ceremonies or family visits
- Lockable storage for cushions, books, textiles, symbols and other items supplied by residents or faith representatives
Daily use should be guided by respect rather than complicated bureaucracy. A simple booking system may help when several residents need the room, but spontaneous use should remain possible. Staff training can cover respectful language, handling of sacred objects, privacy, cleaning expectations and the process for contacting a chaplain, elder or community representative.
Practical planning can also include:
- A neutral name such as “quiet room”, “spiritual care room” or “reflection space”
- Clear information about shared use, accessibility, opening times and acceptable activities
- Safe storage and cleaning procedures for religious materials brought onto the premises
- A review process that invites residents, families and local faith communities to comment
These details are relevant to Australian providers operating under the Aged Care Act 1997 framework and the Aged Care Quality Standards. Dignity, choice, personal identity and freedom from discrimination should be reflected in both policy and the physical environment. A room cannot replace good care, but it can make an organisation’s commitment to individual preference visible.
Adapting Ideas for Australian Aged Care
Australian facilities may need to consider cultural patterns that differ from those in Japan. Family members often visit in groups, particularly on weekends and during religious festivals, so an adjacent waiting area or flexible family room may be as important as the quiet room itself. In warmer regions, shaded outdoor areas can also support prayer, yarning, contemplation and culturally appropriate gatherings.
Local market conditions matter as well. Suppliers in Australia provide accessible furniture, acoustic products, privacy screens, digital booking tools and sensory lighting, but budgets vary significantly between metropolitan, regional and remote services. A staged approach may be more realistic than building a dedicated suite: an existing lounge can be improved through movable furniture, better signage, softer lighting and secure storage.
The room should also fit the everyday rhythm of care. Australian residents may enjoy morning tea in shared lounges, attend group activities after lunch and receive visiting allied-health professionals throughout the day. Scheduling spiritual activities around meals, medication rounds and personal care protects participation without creating extra pressure for residents or staff.
Policies should account for religious observance, cultural safety, disability access, privacy and infection prevention. Providers also need to consider obligations under anti-discrimination law and the Aged Care Charter of Rights. Consultation with local communities is essential, especially when a facility serves Aboriginal residents or a large migrant population whose needs cannot be represented by a generic list of religions.
From Conference Learning to Better Practice
The value of the Tochigi event lies in its practical, transferable approach. Research presentations can explain why spiritual wellbeing matters, while a facility visit reveals the small operational decisions that determine whether a space is genuinely used. The combination gives managers a stronger basis for design briefs, staff education and resident consultation.
For an Australian audience, the study tour is also a reminder that inclusion is built through routines. Staff should know how a resident prefers to be addressed, whether family or a faith leader should be involved, what objects are important and when privacy is required. These are ordinary care conversations, supported by an environment that does not make personal beliefs feel like an inconvenience.
A facility may begin with a listening exercise involving residents, families, lifestyle staff, nurses, chaplains, local community groups and maintenance teams. Their observations can identify barriers such as poor wayfinding, insufficient seating, glare, noise or a lack of space for mobility aids. The results can then inform a realistic improvement plan.
Professionals who need event information, historical context or administrative assistance can use the secretariat contact page. The broader lesson from JS Festival remains clear: thoughtful interfaith spaces connect design with dignity, giving older people greater freedom to express identity, maintain spiritual routines and feel at home in residential care.