Dementia develops even in the prime of life. Support must be strengthened for early-onset dementia patients, taking into consideration the challenges that are different from those involving the elderly.
According to a survey by the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, it is estimated that 35,700 people in Japan have early-onset dementia, which develops before the age of 65. In many cases, they suffer from Alzheimer-type dementia or cerebrovascular dementia. Most are in their 50s and 60s.
Partly because the number of people with early-onset dementia is smaller than that of the elderly, full-fledged measures against the disease have been lagging behind. Hopefully, the government will carefully analyze the current situation and take effective steps.
One of the issues involved is that responses tend to be delayed in the early stage of the disease. According to the survey, the symptom that the patients themselves and their families first noticed most often was "forgetfulness," followed by "making a mistake at the workplace or at home" and "easily becoming irritable." Few people would suspect dementia simply because of these changes.
However, dementia is not limited to the elderly. To deal appropriately with the disease, it is important for patients and those around them to deepen their understanding of the symptoms and characteristics. Local governments provide basic classes at companies, schools and elsewhere. Having classes in the workplace is meaningful.
Many people have trouble finding appropriate medical institutions. There are about 450 medical centers for dementia-related diseases nationwide, which are designated by prefectural governments and others. But such facilities are not well known. Steps should be taken not only to make them well known but also to nurture doctors in local communities who can deal with dementia.
The most serious issue is that dementia interferes with the continuation of work. According to the survey, about 70% of dementia sufferers who were working at the onset quit their jobs.
Support coordinators for early-onset dementia will be key. They serve to ensure employment opportunities and provide financial support for people with dementia in cooperation with workplaces, medical institutions, Hello Work public job placement offices and other entities, in keeping with patients' symptoms and wishes.
Based on a plan drawn up in 2015, the government has assigned about 130 experts, including social welfare workers, to local governments as coordinators.
It is not easy to obtain understanding for the continued employment of dementia sufferers from the workplaces that employ them, or to find new jobs for them. The number of professionals who care for people with dementia must be increased, and awareness of the disease deepened among companies and society as a whole.
Even if it is difficult for dementia sufferers to find a job, their active involvement in society will give them motivation in life. It is important to create places in which they can interact with local residents.
Consideration for the families of dementia sufferers must not be forgotten. Some children give up advancing to higher education to take care of their parents with dementia, while others care for both an older parent and their spouse with dementia. It is vital to create an environment in which society as a whole supports people with dementia and their families.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Sept. 3, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
