Yukoners hear what Japan can teach them about aging and dementia care

Elder care advocates say cases of dementia are on the rise, and it's more urgent than ever to end the stigma and shame associated with a dementia diagnosis.

And they're bringing that message — along with some strategies borrowed from Japan — to communities across Canada, including Whitehorse where a workshop was held over the weekend.   

The project, which includes workshops, lectures and online learning, was created by the Japanese Medical Support Network for Canadians (JAMSNET Canada) with support from the Canadian federal government's Dementia Strategic Fund.

Helen O'Connor attended the Whitehorse workshop to learn more about how to care for her 93-year-old mother who lives with her. O'Connor says she knew very little about how dementia affects the brain before her mother's diagnosis.

"I had to start studying, doing my own research," she said.

"There's a lack of awareness in Whitehorse. The workshop has really supported the knowledge I already had and expanded it, so it was really informative."

Like Canada, Japan is also experiencing a rapidly aging population.

But Japan is a bit further along — where 19 per cent of Canada's population is aged 65 and over, national data shows 29 per cent of Japan's population is 65 and over. 

The Alzheimer's Society of Canada has predicted that the number of people in Canada living with dementia will triple over the next 30 years. 

The Japanese government released its New Orange Plan in 2015, which is made up of seven strategies to improve quality of life for people with dementia and their families.

Organizers with ties to both countries are hoping to bring some of the strategies Japan has developed to improve care and quality of life for the elderly to Canadians. 

"There's more knowledge there," said organizer Kyoshi Dembo, who spoke to CBC News at the workshop in Whitehorse.

"We're using a method of volunteer training developed by a Japanese non-profit in 2013 that has become very successful. They have textbooks, animations for children."

The Yukon government has taken its own steps to address the projected rise in dementia cases.

Earlier this year, the government announced various support initiatives for those affected by dementia, such as online education sessions and a Yukon-exclusive caregiver support group. A phone support helpline was also launched in September 2023, offering information and resources about dementia.

Japan's New Orange Plan doesn't just focus on people with dementia and their caregivers — bus drivers, retail workers and bank tellers are also targeted in the education campaign, focusing on tools to support those with dementia and cognitive impairments. The goal is to allow people with dementia to stay at home and involved in society for as long as possible. 

The workshop series borrows from Japan's New Orange Plan in its materials and strategy. Ultimately, advocates say the plan is to develop "dementia-friendly" communities across Canada. 

Yuka Okada was the speaker at Saturday's event in Whitehorse. She is a gerontology nurse and director of care at the Momiji Heath Care Society, a non-profit focused on senior wellbeing in Toronto. 

She believes that if community members are aware of the signs and symptoms of dementia, they may be empowered to intervene if they believe someone is lost or in distress. 

During her lecture in Whitehorse, she told the audience that much of the stigma surrounding dementia stems from a lack of understanding, and she offered various strategies for more effective communication. 

"It's all just technique, right? Using simple words and one piece of information at a time," she explained.

Okada said knowledge about the disease and what the other person is going through can help bridge divisions.

"People focus on the symptom, the problematic behaviour, and not always on the reason behind it," said Okada.

"But there are always reasons behind the wandering or the argumentative behaviour. When you understand those reasons, you know how to approach it."

When friends and family members feel unable to communicate with their loved ones with dementia, or confused by their unusual behaviours, they often choose to spend less time with them. This can accelerate the disease's progression. 

Dembo has seen this phenomenon often over two decades creating and implementing geriatric programming in care facilities in Hamilton and Toronto. 

During the pandemic, he couldn't run programming in many long-term care facilities due to COVID-19 concerns.

Dembo says he saw many residents go into decline and die — not from COVID-19, but from the impact of being cut off from social programming and from their communities. 

The experience led him to transition entirely to work in long-term care reform. 

For O'Connor, experiencing second-hand the loneliness and stigma that can come with the disease has been one of the biggest shocks of the journey. 

"People [with dementia] are basically not considered as important members of society anymore," she said.

"That they don't care, that they're not emotional beings, that they don't contribute anything."

A lack of community understanding and support can make spending time in public stressful and uncomfortable for those with dementia and their caregivers, which can lead to isolating at home. But O'Connor said those with dementia deserve to feel supported by their communities. 

"Dignity was a big point that was brought up today," said O'Connor, at the Whitehorse workshop.

"It's not their fault, so it's on us to adapt." 

Okada is hoping to see a shift from discrimination into accommodation.

"It's a big challenge, but we can't give up," she said.

"Eliminating stigma will improve everyone's quality of life: the person with dementia, their family, caregivers, the entire community. That's the final goal."

The next workshop will be held in Vernon, B.C., on Oct. 21.