6 Million Dementia Patients in Japan: Emergence of 'Dementia Cafes'
"Services for Dementia Elderly Living in Isolation"
In Japan, a super-aged society, there is a cafe that draws attention by employing elderly people with dementia as staff for a day.
According to the American daily The Washington Post (WP) on the 19th (local time), the cafe 'Orange Day Sengawa' located in Sengawa, a western suburb of Tokyo, transforms into a 'slow cafe' once a month.
When entering the slow cafe, it is not difficult to see elderly people with graying hair. The senior staff sometimes forget the order sheets and deliver the wrong menu to customers. There are times when customers have to wait more than 15 minutes just to receive a glass of water they ordered.
However, no customer complains to them because they know it is the day when people with dementia serve. The cafe owner recently took over the store and has been working with the Sengawa authorities to continuously connect with local elderly people with dementia.
Mr. Morita Toshio (85), who took on the 'one-day serving' role at the cafe, said, "This place is enjoyable," and "Just being here makes me feel young again." He began showing symptoms of dementia two years ago.
Ms. Arikawa Tomomi (48), a customer who visited the cafe with her 16-year-old daughter, said upon seeing the elderly person with dementia serving, "It reminded me of moments with my father, and I almost cried." Her father had suffered from dementia for four years until he passed away earlier this year.
Ms. Iwata Yui, who helps operate the cafe, said, "Many elderly people with dementia are often confined to nursing homes or hospitals," adding, "If the public better understands dementia, it will be easier for them to go out."
Japan Entered 'Super-Aged Society' in 2006... 3 out of 10 People Are 65 or Older
Japan, which experienced an aged society earlier than Korea, entered an aging society in 1971. It then entered an aged society in 1995, and in 2006, when the population aged 65 and over exceeded 20.2%, it entered a super-aged society. Currently, aging is so severe that 3 out of 10 people in the population are 65 or older.
The number of dementia patients is also increasing accordingly. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare estimated that more than 6 million people suffer from dementia. It is projected that this number will increase to 7.3 million by 2025.
As a result, voices have been raised that dementia patients should not be isolated in hospitals or homes but should be able to engage in active mental and physical activities. The 'dementia cafe' was created to address this issue. WP explained that if an environment is created where dementia patients can interact with new people and demonstrate productivity, it helps slow the progression of the disease.
Korea Also at the Beginning of a Super-Aged Society... Over 20% of Population to Be 65 or Older by 2025
Korea is also approaching entry into a super-aged society. According to Statistics Korea, by 2025, Korea is expected to enter a super-aged era where the proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over will exceed 20% of the total population.
As aging intensifies, the number of dementia patients is continuously increasing. According to the Central Dementia Center, as of 2022, the number of dementia patients aged 65 and over exceeded 930,000. This means that 1 out of 10 people aged 65 and over in Korea has dementia. The dementia population is expected to continue increasing, reaching about 1 million this year, 3.46 million in 2060, and over 3.38 million in 2070.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
