With orange bracelets in hand, salespeople, bus drivers, staff at supermarkets, cashiers in banks, and many others who were trained under the program help them out.
‘Team Orange’ targets to establish a strong connection among dementia supporters and healthcare professionals with dementia patients.
With the Japanese government addressing the dementia concern effectively through legislation, programmes and community awareness, technology is the new tool, now.
In some regions, wearable GPS tags alert authorities the moment a dementia person leaves a particular area. The BBC states, “it is a kind of community safety net that can locate a missing person within hours”
Fujitsu’s aiGait aids in the identification of early signs of dementia, analysing walking patterns and sitting posture among elderly people.
Interestingly, Waseda University researchers are developing AIREC, a 150kg humanoid robot designed to be a caregiver in future.
“It can help a person put on socks, scramble eggs and fold laundry. The scientists at Waseda University hope that in the future, AIREC will be able to change diapers and prevent bedsores in patients,” the BBC highlights.
Poketomo, a 12cm tall robot, reminds users to take medication, informs how to prepare for the weather outside beforehand and even converses with lonely ones.
The BBC reports that out of 18,000 elderly people living with dementia left their homes and wandered off. As a matter of sincere concern, over 500 of them were later found dead, pointing out the many gaps that exist between the Japanese government and dementia patients.
With technology likely to amplify the prowess of Japan’s fight against dementia, ‘hope’ is all that the government, community and the patients shall bet on.
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