Abstract
It is estimated that the number of persons with dementia in 2005 will double in 2035 in Japan from more than 2 million to 4.5 million. In the wake of the introduction of long-term care insurance in Japan in 2000, there have been particularly marked changes in the awareness and recognition of dementia. However, considering that the aim of the care for persons with dementia is to support their independence or daily life, we envisage many more issues ahead of us. Early detection and diagnosis are important for all diseases, and particularly in the case of dementia. Underdetection of persons with dementia means underdiagnosis and treatment. At present, no data are available on the proportion of persons with dementia diagnosed and treated appropriately. Such a situation clearly indicates the role of primary care physicians to detect persons with dementia in the early stage. Also, “dignity” is emphasized in Article 1 of the Long-term Care Insurance Law revised in 2006. That is, persons with dementia must not be discriminated for the reason of dementia. However, persons with dementia are often discriminated in various situations. Here, I consider some of these issues with a view to establishing a future ideal model.
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Homma, A. (2010). Alzheimer’s Disease in Japan: Current Situation and Issues of the Care for Persons with Dementia. In: Miyoshi, K., Morimura, Y., Maeda, K. (eds) Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53871-4_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53871-4_16
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