The non-partisan Diet Study Group on Dementia headed by House of Representatives member Hayato Suzuki held its fifth session. HGPI is currently providing planning and operations support for this study group. Mr. Takayuki Maeda spoke about an innovative daycare center that he runs for people with dementia called “DAYS BLG!” The center is based on the concept that people involved with the center should come to understand the disease as if they themselves were afflicted with it.

Background
The number of people living with dementia in Japan is expected to rise alongside the aging of the population. Policies to deal with this challenge are urgently needed. Japan has taken up the challenge of such polices by launching the “New Orange Plan” – a comprehensive strategy to address dementia. However, additional measures on dementia will be needed in the future. To that end, a number of House of Representatives members have formed this voluntary, regular, non-partisan study group to encourage as many House of Representatives members as possible to become interested in this issue and knowledgeable about it.

Session presentations
“What I myself had dementia?”
Mr. Takayuki Maeda (Psychiatric Social Workers, President of “Let’s make Machida an open town” NPO; Member of the board of directors of Young onset dementia support center NPO; Member of the advisory board of Dementia friendship club NPO; Member of the board of directors of Japan dementia working group general incorporated association)