Japan Sees Number of Trained Dementia Care Volunteers Top 10 million

The liaison council of the Dementia Supporter Caravan estimates that more than 10 million persons have received training to assist people with dementia in Japan, reports the Japan Times . Because about 7 million people are projected to have dementia by 2025, Japan's government is considering the development of 12 million dementia care aides by the end of fiscal 2020 as part of a national push to build supportive communities. Such aides must complete a 60- to 90-minute training session offered by local governments, schools, and companies. As of the end of March, nearly 10.2 million people had completed the mandatory sessions, including instructors and those who have taken the course more than once. About 9.6 million in that group participated in sessions held by local governments, while the others were trained by private entities, including financial institutions and operators of supermarkets, where workers may regularly meet people with dementia. There is no age restriction for becoming a volunteer, and about 2.1 million volunteers are 19 or younger. Many local governments provide advanced sessions in which volunteers can learn more specialized knowledge about dementia and further enhance their skills.