The non-partisan Diet Study Group on Dementia headed by House of Representatives member Hayato Suzuki held its ninth session. HGPI is currently providing planning and operations support for this study group.

At the ninth session, social care journalist Mr. Toshio Machinaga gave a presentation entitled “The portrayal of dementia in the media and society’s response.” With the help of visual aids, Mr. Machinaga demonstrated how the media has portrayed dementia. He then explained how society’s response to dementia has shifted from a medical science/social model to a lifestyle model and then to a community model. He also introduced trends in dementia care policy in various countries around the world, particularly the U.K., and shared his perspective on the future of dementia policy in Japan and how Japanese society will change in response to dementia based on his experience as a journalist.

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.

Outline
“The portrayal of dementia in the media and society’s response”
Mr. Toshio Machinaga, Social Care Journalist