Team Orange : The provision of early life support for people with dementia and their families

Abstract

On June 18, 2019, the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Policies for Dementia Care was held. At the meeting, a discussion was held on the draft Framework for Promoting Dementia Care. In this framework, relevant measures have firmly been implemented, focusing on inclusion and prevention, much like two wheels of a cart, while putting emphasis on the perspectives of the patients and their families. Specifically, advances of measures to make all aspects of everyday life more accessible have been emphasized, aiming at materializing inclusion so that dementia patients can maintain their own lifestyle in their communities with which they are familiar. On the other hand, we will promote prevention through the development of a place where the elderly can easily find and attend various exercises which are effective for prevention, and the promotion of research and development on preventive cares methods. Team Orange is a new challenge which can provide the provision of early life support for people with dementia and their families by a neighboring team of dementia supporters. People with dementia are expected to join the team as members. This paper reports on the dementia café carried out in our university by SWOT analysis. In the Framework for Promoting Dementia Care, dementia café administered by Team Orange is positioned as one of community activities to maintain the lifestyle of persons with dementia and their families. Also, it is well known that the activities of dementia café increase the recognition and awareness of dementia in the community, which will make easier for persons with dementia to live in the community. Launching Team Orange is a first step which is necessary to create a comfortable place with persons with dementia including local residents.