N.K

Age:

85 years old (As of September 2019 interview)

Year of birth:

1933

Place of residence:

Kitaadachi District, Saitama Prefecture

Relatives living together:

Lives with husband, daughter and her husband

Occupation:

Housewife

Age of onset:

About 80 years old

Age of diagnosis:

81 years old

Diagnosis:

Alzheimer type

Dementia rating scale?Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)
The most widely used screening test internationally for identifying dementia, in which questions are asked directly to subjects. The MMSE assesses cognitive functions with a series of questions/tasks related to orientation, memory, attention and calculation, language, giving commands and copying a picture. The test yields the highest score of 30 points, and, in general, those who score 23 points or lower are identified as suspected patients with dementia.Revised Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R)
A screening test widely used in Japan for identifying dementia, in which questions are asked directly to subjects. It has 9 questions/tasks related to age, orientation, immediate memory and delayed recall of 3 words, calculation, backward digit span, memory of 5 objects and language fluency. The test yields the highest score of 30 points, and, in general, those who score 20 points or lower are identified as suspected patients with dementia.
:

Level of independence in the lives of elderly people with dementia ll a (2015)

Using long-term care insurance:

Uses day services 4 times a week

Frequency of gatherings with other people with dementia:

Nothing in particular

Past experiences

2014年(80)

My family physician, who was seeing me for blood pressure, noticed something was a little wrong and recommended an MRI scan at another hospital. Brain atrophy was found.

Diagnosis

2015年(81)

January: consulted the forgetfulness department of a university hospital for a more detailed examination
March: received diagnosis

2015年(81)

I was living with my husband, and my daughter came once a week to check on me.

2015年(81)

Gradually, it started to take an hour to wash the dishes, and I became not able to tell what day of the month it was on the calendar.

2015年(81)

My care manager referred me to a day care center, and I started to attend the day care center once a week. After six months, I was able to attend twice a week.

2016年(82)

May: Two of us moved to my daughter's place in Saitama.

2016年(82)

June: my daughter found a day near the city hall that knew the community very well. We both went on a tour and liked the facility, feeling as if we were back in the countryside.

2016年(82)

I started to go to the day care twice a week. Around this time, when I was told I had dementia, I would rephrase it as "my brain has become rather slower."

2019年(85)

I have gradually increased the number of visits to day care and now go 4 times a week. I look forward to the day and is now motivated to go there. Sometimes I cannot tell the day of the week or month, but I prepare for the day by myself and wait for the pick-up vehicle to come.

2020年(86)

Family members say, "Even during the course of a day, (the person's) feelings change. Feelings can change during interactions with various people." They are concerned about changes in symptoms and difficulties in daily life as well as how it has become difficult to continue doing something.

Joy in life and living

1

Joy that remains with you even after onset

I am happy that my daughter and her family are taking care of me and that I can talk with my husband because he is still well.

2

Joy that remains with you even after onset

I am happy to be with my family.

3

Joy that remains with you even after onset

Making something for my great-grandchildren with origami and chiyogami (Japanese paper folding)

4

Joy that remains with you even after onset

Copying books with handwriting

Something you would like to do in the future

The way day care staff talk to me is soft and suits me well. It is nice to hear them say, "Would you help me?" instead of "Would you do it for me?" I think these are the last encounters I will ever have in my life. I think this is the last encounter in my life. I think it is my duty to live without causing trouble to others.

Challenges in daily living

Physical and mental dysfunctions

Message to the society

Dignity of life. We need to cherish life.
It might be too late, and a person with dementia, no matter what I say, would not be able to make a difference. However, even if it is only me, I would like to tell people how much positive effects day care services had on me. If the number of people with dementia is going to increase, it will not be enough for families and day-care centers alone to try coping with them. It would be necessary to take administrative measures and to show appreciation for the hard work and efforts that the staff at day care centers and other facilities are making.
It is important to be conscious about how I should act so that I do not cause trouble in the society. I believe what counts is what I learn here. I am very happy now.