Starting in October 2020, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) and Designing for Dementia have co-hosted meetings of the Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia. Today, that group presented its interim report and recommendations in a document entitled, “Steps Toward Regulations for Dementia That Achieve Citizen-Centered Dementia Policy.”

First, the research group discussed attitudes toward regulations and determined topics to compare. The interim report presents the results of those comparisons and recommends elements to include in future dementia-related regulations.

 

An overview of the recommendations is provided below. For further reference, please find the following documents attached at the bottom of this page:

• The “Policy Proposal Overview and Topics Examined During Regulation Comparisons” leaflet
• The full text of the interim report and policy proposal, “Steps Toward Regulations for Dementia That Achieve Citizen-Centered Dementia Policy.”

Please note that the above documents are only available in Japanese for the time being.

 

・・・

Policy Recommendations – The Direction of Future Dementia-Related Regulations

 

1. Recommendations for municipal governments and local assemblies

① Concepts and definitions for all topics

• Consensus should be built on the concepts behind and intended purposes of regulations during the enactment process, and these items should be clearly stated.
• Accurate facts concerning dementia prevention should be based on the latest evidence and included in regulations.
• Terms to be defined in a regulation and their definitions should be discussed and finalized during the enactment process.

② Processes leading up to and after the enactment of regulations

• A review committee or similar group should be established and include the following parties.
  ➢ Individuals with dementia living in the municipality
  ➢ Family members and carers to people with dementia living (or active in) the municipality
  ➢ Representatives of multiple types of private businesses operating in the municipality
  ➢ Representatives of resident or community organizations
  ➢ Representatives of healthcare, long-term care, and welfare professionals
• A broad collection of residents’ opinions should be compiled through workshops, public comments, and other collection methods outside of review committee discussions, and actions taken in response to those opinions should be reported as results.
• Participant lists, minutes, and reference materials from review committee meetings should be presented online and through other easily-accessible formats.
• After regulations are enacted, information concerning the municipality’s dementia policy should be published online, in pamphlets, and in other forms that can be readily disseminated and are easy for the public to understand.

③ Regulations and their content

• Regulations should state how they protect dignity, uphold rights, and ensure social participation for people with dementia.
• Regulations should state how they protect dignity, uphold rights, and provide support for families and carers of people with dementia.
• Regulations should outline how private businesses should employ people with dementia and be considerate of caregivers of people with dementia.
• Regulations should state that informal activities by local residents will be promoted and supported by the government.
• Regulations should state how measures related to public finance will be taken.
• Regulations should address the formulation of specific measures or administrative plans.
• Regulations should address the establishment of forums for promoting and evaluating dementia policies.

 

2. Recommendations for residents, the Government, private companies, and other related parties

① Residents

• Residents should think about proposed regulations while referring to public information and actively participate in opportunities to express personal opinions.

② Private companies

• Private companies should proactively build awareness through interactions with people with dementia, their families, and their carers.

③ The Government

• The Government should provide support by collecting and sharing information about positive examples of local government initiatives.
• The Government should be proactive in providing evidence based on the latest research.

 

For questions on the report, please contact:
Health and Global Policy Institute Dementia Project Team
Shunichiro Kurita
info@hgpi.org

 

■ Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia

September 30, 2020	[Event Report] The First Meeting of the Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia
October 28, 2020	[Event Report] The Second Meeting of the Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia
November 24, 2020	[Event Report] The Third Meeting of the Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia
November 27, 2020	[Event Report] The Fourth Meeting of the Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia
December 3, 2020	The Fifth Meeting at Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture
December 9, 2020	The Sixth Meeting at Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
December 18, 2020	The Seventh Meeting at Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture
December 22, 2020	The Eighth Meeting at Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture
January 26, 2021	[Event Report] The Ninth Meeting of the Comparative Research Group on Local Regulations for Dementia