Tag Archives: Japan

Dementia frontrunner Japan destigmatises condition, stresses community care

Posted on by under Education, Inspiration, Socialization

Dementia frontrunner Japan destigmatises condition, stresses community care

When Masahiko Sato was diagnosed at age 51 with early-onset Alzheimer’s, he felt his life was over. A decade later, Sato has a mission: destigmatising a condition with a growing social impact in a country that leads the global aging trend.

“Whether people with dementia can ‘come out’ depends on the values and culture of the community,” said Kumiko Nagata, research director at the Dementia Care Research and Training Centre, Tokyo, adding that attitudes were changing.

Read the whole article and watch the video at:  http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-japan-dementia-widerimage-idUKKCN0XB2WS

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Dementia care in Japan is being solved through volunteer schemes, not government

Posted on by under Care, Inspiration

This post comes to us from the UK source, The Guardian. You can read the original article by clicking on the title below. I think that utilizing volunteers to support dementia is a wonderful strategy! It serves to train and educate the wider public, getting them involved in compassionate care, and also raises awareness and reduces stigma. PLUS, then there is a whole force of people who are trained, ready, and able to help people with dementia to stay active and engaged in their communities and lives.

By Mayumi Hayashi on November 18, 2014

Dementia care in Japan is being solved through volunteer schemes, not government

Community projects, such as open houses which provide all-day care, are innovative and low-cost

japan dementia

4.6 million people in Japan are living with dementia. Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

With the world’s fastest ageing population where one in four are over 65 and there are 4.6 million people (15% of the older population) living with dementia, Japan is struggling to find sustainable and affordable solutions. With the world’s highest level of debt – 230% of national GDP – these solutions to the challenge of dementia must be both innovative and cost-effective. Continue reading →

Rural communities as a radical idea for dementia-friendly living

Posted on by under Inspiration

With the promotion in the past few years to create age-friendly communities and dementia-friendly communities, my brain has been thinking of how this could change our way of looking at community living and intergenerational socialization.

Today, over my cup of coffee and thinking about a documentary I had seen on aging in Japan, I had one of those spark moments. You know, when you get an idea that seems like it could really make a difference in the world. Continue reading →

Opinions from Japan’s Aging Population

Posted on by under Education

This information comes to us from The Wall Street Journal. It’s a summary of the Japanese government’s report on their aging population and the issues they face. To read more of my posts on Japan, check out this post on iPads and Custom Apps for the Elderly in Japan  or this post on The Rise of Aging-Friendly Stores. 

Fear of Dying Alone: The State of Japan’s Aging Population

June 16, 2015 By JUN HONGO

Elderly people wait for a bus in Tokyo.

Bloomberg News

The Japanese government released its annual report on Japan’s aging population which illustrates the state of the country’s elderly and the issues they face. As of October 2014, 26% of Japan’s population was aged 65 years old or over, making it the world’s fastest aging nation. That percentage is expected to increase to 40% by 2060.

Here are five facts from the report. Continue reading →

iPads and custom apps connect older adults in Japan

Posted on by under Gerontechnology

This is a re-post from IBM. I came across this article through LinkedIn and am very happy to re-post it. The first person I provided personal dementia care for, was a wonderful and inspiring woman in her early 50’s who had the familial type of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She spent her career working for IBM, traveling the world as a trainer for their programs. She would be so happy to hear that IBM is developing this service.

Japan Post Group, IBM and Apple Deliver iPads and Custom Apps to

Connect Elderly in Japan to Services, Family and Community

TOKYO, ARMONK, N.Y. and CUPERTINO, California – 30 Apr 2015: Japan Post Group, IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Apple today announced a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for millions of Japanese senior citizens. Built on the global partnership Apple and IBM announced last year, the new initiative will deliver iPads with IBM-developed apps and analytics to connect millions of seniors with services, healthcare, community and their families.

Continue reading →

Shopping we all can enjoy, the rise of aging-friendly stores

Posted on by under Inspiration

I came across the following article this morning. It’s about a grocery store in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that has become dementia-friendly, in partnership with their local Aging and Disability Resource Center and the global Purple Angel Campaign.

Inspired, I did a bit more digging around on the internet, and wrote this post about how communities and businesses are becoming more age-friendly and dementia-friendly. Examples from New York, Wisconsin, the UK, Germany, and Japan are highlighted.

Continue reading →