Hundreds of people with dementia who went missing in Japan last year are yet to be found, the National Police Agency has announced, highlighting the growing problems associated with the nation’s aging population.
A record 17,479 people with dementia went missing last year, with 245 still unaccounted for.
Japan is the most rapidly aging nation in the world, with more than 28 percent of its population — or nearly 36 million people — aged over 65, a proportion that is set to rise to 35 percent by 2040.
Although the vast majority of those living who went missing were found within a week, four of those located last year were found more than two years after being reported missing, while 460 of those who went missing died, with a significant proportion of them killed in traffic accidents.
The number of disappearances in Japan due to dementia has almost doubled in the past decade and the number of those affected by the illness is expected to reach 7 million by 2025.
“It is important that the entire society tackles the issue, with close cooperation between family members, municipalities and businesses,” Japanese Minister of Public Safety, Measures for National Land Strengthening and Disaster Management Ryota Takeda said on Thursday.
The Japanese government last year launched a new program to prevent those with the condition coming into harm’s way and to support them living in the community.
Public broadcaster NHK has been running a series of programs covering the topic that aim to help families caring for those living with dementia. One of the programs featured Kazuo Hasegawa, a 90-year-old leading expert in the field, who has announced that he is now also affected by the condition.
Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare data shows that 4.6 million people are suffering from some form of dementia, with the total expected to soar to about 7.3 million people — or one in five Japanese aged 65 or over — by 2025.
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