Improving quality of life for elderly people with dementia

Abstract

Editorial discusses the ways of improving quality of life for elderly people with dementia in Japan. The total number of people with dementia in Japan is estimated to be 1.6 million. The present study concords with the report that about half of the 93 care service providers in some local governments refused to provide services to elderly people with dementia because of the behavioral complications seen in dementia. The main reason for this is that patients cannot receive timely, sufficient and appropriate services. Only 25% of such elderly persons live in nursing homes. The utilization rate of geriatric care hospitals is as low as 10%. It is necessary to defer or decrease the appearance of behavioral disorders, for the purpose of lightening the burden on persons who care for elderly people with dementia. Early discovery of dementia will be an extremely useful means of supporting dementia caregivers regionally and of maintaining quality of life (QOL) for the elderly. Another significant factor in the diagnosis and treatment of dementia, applicable to any disease, is that antidementia drugs should be started as early as possible. The present study concludes that the QOL of elderly people with dementia can be improved by respecting their right of decision through early discovery and diagnosis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)