The Development of Strategies for the Demented Elderly in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

Abstract

The prevalence of dementia in the population 65 and over, which is said to be of the order of about 4%-5% in Japan, is derived from surveys conducted by local governments. Among these, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has conducted a total of four surveys, one every 7 years since 1978. The method used has been referred to as the Tokyo Metropolitan Method. The population surveyed is that of 65 years old and over living in the community. About 10000 are randomly selected and are screened by an initial general survey, of which those suspected of being demented are seen by specialists in the secondary survey. These surveys have revealed the state of the demented elderly and have made longitudinal comparisons possible.Key wordsDemented elderlyCare managementIn-home servicesCooperative homesAdult guardianship