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Welcome to Dementia World. You are boarding a mysterious tour bus that will take you to see all the main attractions. But none of the signs make sense. The map is convoluted. You try to ask the driver and other passengers for help and no one seems to know where the bus is going. Sometimes the bus veers off course for no reason. Other times, it brings you back to the same stops you had already seen.
This is one of many case studies presented in the Dementia Supporters’ Training Course in Yamato City. The 90-minute workshop is available free of charge to all citizens, including children and youth, with the goal of increasing public awareness of dementia.
Today, we had the chance to take part in a demo. I was impressed with how relatable and engaging the material is due to its use of beautiful animations, card games, and infographics. Learning points are not overly medicalized and can be adapted to different age groups and education levels. To date, over 20,000 citizens have taken the course, which is roughly 10% of the city’s population. That is an incredible uptake compared to some of the dementia educational initiatives we have back at home. We all left feeling inspired by the creativity and thoughtfulness of this course.
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A group of us spent the rest of the day in Enoshima, a small island off the southern coast of Kanagawa, exploring the shrine gardens and enjoying fresh seafood with the coastline and Mount Fuji in the distance.
Vance Tran, MD, MS Candidate (Palliative Care)