Elders with Dementia Can Also Have a Voice in the Community: Inspiration from Japan's 'Hope Ambassadors'
Japan has appointed people with dementia themselves as 'Hope Ambassadors' to take part in awareness campaigns and lectures, and it also plans to set up regional ambassadors in each prefecture. In Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, officials also planted flowers and made display boards together with elders with dementia. These practices remind us: dementia does not mean withdrawing from society, and elders' voices deserve to be heard.
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: 認知症本人大使「希望大使」 ｜厚生労働省 · Original language: ja
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Facts from the sources
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare appointed 7 people with dementia themselves as 'Hope Ambassadors' to participate in dementia awareness and publicity activities. View source
Hope Ambassadors participate in national dementia awareness-raising activities and international conferences, and introduce the Hope Declaration for coexistence with dementia. View source
Japan plans to establish regional Hope Ambassadors in each prefecture to expand opportunities for people with dementia to have their voices heard. View source
Regional Hope Ambassadors are required to assist lecturers of dementia supporter training courses and participate in prefectural awareness-raising activities. View source
As of June 30, Reiwa 8, there were 103 regional Hope Ambassadors in Japan, distributed across 28 prefectures. View source
In Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, people with dementia worked with the ward office to plant orange flowers in flower beds and produce awareness-raising display panels. View source
For older people and families
Family members can encourage elders with dementia to participate in simple community activities, such as watering flowers, chatting, and doing handicrafts, and first see whether they are willing.
When an elder has difficulty expressing themselves, do not rush to finish their sentences; wait patiently and let them say what they think.
Treat elders as experienced people, not as patients who need care in every respect, and respect the skills they had in the past.
Before participating in an activity, tell community workers clearly about the elder's physical condition and habits, so as not to put them in a difficult position.
Family members also need to rest well. Caring for an elder with dementia is hard, so you can arrange someone to take over for a while.
See what care and community teams can do
Community organisations in China can draw on Japan's concept of 'participation by people with dementia themselves' and invite older persons with mild to moderate dementia to join in environmental arrangement and awareness campaign planning, rather than only being care recipients.
Before organising an activity, assess each elder's comprehension, physical strength, and emotional state, and have professionals develop an individual participation plan.
When training community volunteers, you may invite elders with dementia who are willing to share to talk about their own feelings, helping volunteers understand them.
Activity content should be simple and highly repetitive, such as planting flowers and making reminder signs, to reduce cognitive load.
The venue should be level and slip-resistant; the activity time should not be too long; arrange rests and drinking water in the middle.
Promoting such practices in China requires coordination among subdistrict offices, residents' committees, elderly care institutions, and social work organisations; Japan's system cannot be directly copied.
When recording activity processes, pay attention to protecting elders' privacy. Obtain consent from the elders themselves and their family members before taking photographs or publishing.
Project effectiveness should be evaluated through long-term observation and family feedback; conclusions should not be drawn from a single activity.
What needs local assessment
The 'Hope Ambassadors' of Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Shinagawa Ward activity are concrete overseas practices, not current Chinese policy. The data in the article were Japanese statistics at that time. Whether communities in China carry out similar activities should combine local conditions, residents' wishes, and organisational capacity; they cannot be directly copied. Activity design, safety protection, and other matters need to be verified on site by professionals. This article does not constitute medical or nursing care advice. Please consult relevant professionals before an elder participates in an activity. Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (see original link). This website adapted and compiled this based on the original facts; it is not a translation produced, endorsed, or released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Japanese systems are not equivalent to Chinese systems.
Sources
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of JapanWas this article helpful?
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