Trends of Practice and Research Training for Maintaining the Dignity of Older People with Dementia in Japan

Abstract

Background: As the Japanese people are increasingly living longer, it is essential to improve the quality of medical care provided to those living with dementia. In 2019, the Guidelines for the Promotion of Dementia Policies were published to improve the system in order to become more centered on people with dementia and their families. We have developed training programmes and systems for person-centered care in acute care hospitals to improve the quality of care for older people with dementia. The purpose of this paper was to review and summarise our research on training and system-building for the care of older people with dementia. Method: A review of our research on training and system-building for the care of older people with dementia was conducted. Results: The following programmes, such as person-centered care training, a dementia nursing practice skills development programme, and delirium training for older patients with dementia using virtual reality and augmented reality for nurses and other professionals, were developed to maintain the dignity of the dementia patients in acute care hospitals. Conclusion: The person-centered care training programmes were effective in improving the quality of clinical care. Digital transformation training was more effective, and it elicited a more effective and empathetic experience. We planned to develop a simulation platform based on the metaverse to further develop the community-comprehensive care system, including multidisciplinary collaboration on changes in the place of care for older people with dementia.