Japan, a country with over one-third of its people aged above 65 years, is reeling under a severe dementia crisis.
Dementia is inclusive of various diseases, including Alzheimer's and injuries that affect brain functions. Notably, women are most affected by the disease.
Dementia affects the cognitive abilities of the elderly, hindering everyday activities. It causes disturbances to problem-solving abilities and affects comprehension, intelligence in general, making 'social mobility' the biggest hurdle for the elderly.
WHO had earlier projected that one in five people in Japan would be affected by dementia by 2025, and one-third of its population will be vulnerable to the disease by 2060. Presently, Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide.
However, Japan has been fighting against the disease for decades.
A paper titled 'A policy overview of Japan's progress on dementia care in a super-aged society and future challenges' in NLM highlights the measures that Japan has taken so far to combat the dementia crisis.
In 2000, the Long-Term Care Insurance Act was enacted, aiming to provide financial independence for the elderly through insurance coverage.
In 2004, 'Chiho', which refers to dementia in Japanese, was changed to 'Ninchisho'. 'Chiho' was stigmatised and carried derogatory connotations. However, 'Ninchisho', which is now used to refer to dementia, just means a 'cognitive disorder'. The name change was aimed at promoting better public understanding and eliminating prevalent prejudice in society.
In 2005, the Dementia Supporter Program was initiated, and a Legacy event in Japan following the Dementia Summit in the UK was held in 2014.
The New Orange Plan was launched in 2015, and the Long-term Care Insurance Act was revised in 2017.
In 2018, the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Dementia Policies was set up, and in 2019 National Framework for Promotion of Dementia Policies was adopted at the Ministerial Council.
'Dementia Supporters' training program is organised in the community and workplaces. By 2021, 13.3 million people had been trained as dementia supporters, and they eased the difficulties faced by dementia patients in day-to-day life.
With orange bracelets in hand, salespeople, bus drivers, staff at supermarkets, cashiers in banks, and many others who were trained under the program help them out.
'Team Orange' targets to establish a strong connection among dementia supporters and healthcare professionals with dementia patients.
With the Japanese government addressing the dementia concern effectively through legislation, programmes and community awareness, technology is the new tool, now.
In some regions, wearable GPS tags alert authorities the moment a dementia person leaves a particular area. The BBC states, "it is a kind of community safety net that can locate a missing person within hours"
Fujitsu's aiGait aids in the identification of early signs of dementia, analysing walking patterns and sitting posture among elderly people.
Interestingly, Waseda University researchers are developing AIREC, a 150kg humanoid robot designed to be a caregiver in future.
"It can help a person put on socks, scramble eggs and fold laundry. The scientists at Waseda University hope that in the future, AIREC will be able to change diapers and prevent bedsores in patients," the BBC highlights.
Poketomo, a 12cm tall robot, reminds users to take medication, informs how to prepare for the weather outside beforehand and even converses with lonely ones.
The BBC reports that out of 18,000 elderly people living with dementia left their homes and wandered off. As a matter of sincere concern, over 500 of them were later found dead, pointing out the many gaps that exist between the Japanese government and dementia patients.
With technology likely to amplify the prowess of Japan's fight against dementia, 'hope' is all that the government, community and the patients shall bet on.