Japan's dementia policy approach to community-based care: a reference for families and caregivers
In 2019, Japan issued the "Dementia Measures Promotion Outline", setting out the goal of "coexistence", understanding prevention as delaying onset and slowing progression, and promoting the development of community activity hubs. These approaches can serve as a reference for community elderly care and family care in China, but need to be adapted to local realities.
Machine translation of our Chinese article, without human translation review. Suggestions concerning China remain specific to China.
Automatically reviewed, without human verification. Programmatic checks are not professional review. Seek professional advice where appropriate. Automatically reviewed on 10/4/2026, 7:14:25 AM
Chinese fact summaries and suggestions for China (not a full translation)
Original: 認知症施策推進大綱について ｜厚生労働省 · Original language: ja
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Facts from the sources
On June 18, 2019, the first year of the Reiwa era, the Japanese government compiled and formulated the "Dementia Measures Promotion Outline". View source
The outline sets "coexistence" as its goal, allowing people with dementia, even after onset, to continue their lives in the areas they are used to. View source
The outline proposes advancing measures for a "dementia barrier-free" environment to support people with dementia and ordinary people living together in the same society. View source
In the outline, "prevention" refers to delaying the time of developing dementia and, even if dementia develops, making its progression slower. View source
The outline states that, on the basis of "coexistence", the government will uniformly promote the expansion of preventive measures such as "kayoi no ba" (drop-in venues). View source
For older people and families
The Japanese government has proposed that older adults with dementia continue to live in the communities they are used to. Family members can think about how to help older adults go out and move around more.
If the community has senior activity rooms or day-care service points, family members can accompany the older adult to visit and sit for a while.
Do not keep older adults with dementia shut in at home all the time. When they go out, pay attention to safety and carry a contact card.
The so-called "prevention" in Japan means delaying the onset of the disease and slowing its progression. This is not a guarantee of not getting the disease. If you have questions, ask a doctor.
See what care and community teams can do
Drawing on the concept of "coexistence", community activities should be designed with the participation of older adults with dementia in mind, without hidden barriers.
If you intend to build activity hubs similar to "kayoi no ba" (drop-in venues), conditions such as site accessibility, transportation, and staffing should first be assessed.
When publicizing the concept of "prevention" to family members, it should be explained that this is a policy definition, and medical effects should not be exaggerated.
Neighborhood training can be organized so more people understand how to interact with older adults with dementia and create a friendly environment.
What needs local assessment
This content only introduces the relevant statements in Japan's "Dementia Measures Promotion Outline". It is not current policy in mainland China, nor does it constitute medical advice. The term "prevention" in this article uses the Japanese official definition, and no actual effect is guaranteed. The construction of community activity hubs requires professional assessment and local support. For medical and care issues, please consult professionals. Source: Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (see original link). This site has compiled and translated based on the original facts; it is not a translation produced, endorsed, or released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The Japanese system is not equivalent to the Chinese system.
Sources
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of JapanWas this article helpful?
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