Tsuyoshi Mineo
Age:
86 years old （As of September 2019 interview）
Year of birth:
1933
Place of residence:
Hachioji City, Tokyo
Relatives living together:
Lives with wife
Occupation:
Formerly an instructor at a juvenile reformatory under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice (correctional education; served 42 years and was decorated)
Age of onset:
About 83 years old
Diagnosis:
Alzheimer type
Using long-term care insurance:
Using day service (twice per week) and rehabilitation day service (once per week)
Past experiences
1986年（53）
After retiring as a legal instructor at Tama Juvenile Training School, I spent time doing things such as some farming work.
2016年（83）
I felt that I was becoming somewhat more forgetful.
My wife told me that I was asking her the same thing over and over again.
I thought I did not forget things so easily and could remember things for myself.
(People around me did not point out much, but I think there were cases where people felt something not normal was going on.)
2016年（83）
Age-related forgetfulness does exist, and I thought I was about normal for my age, but actually I was not. It became hard to hide my forgetfulness.
My daughter, who is a care manager, worried about me and applied for long-term care insurance services.
Diagnosis
2017年（84）
I visited a hospital specializing in cerebrovascular and mental health. An MRI of the brain revealed a slightly white area, and I was diagnosed with dementia.
I was prescribed medication to control the progression of forgetfulness.
2017年（84）
I feel there was some prejudice because I was in an old town.
At first I thought I did not want to be stupid, but, after my diagnosis, I feel I am not.
My daughter moved from far to my house, renovated the karaoke school on the second floor and made a care manager's office.
I visited a day service that a care manager practicing in a different area introduced to me as an active facility. I started to live in an environment where I interact with others.
2019年（86）
Now I have an MRI taken once a year to make sure that the white stuff has not spread and is being maintained.
I also continues to drink with my friends every few months.
Joy in life and living
1
Joy that you have given up
I have a horticultural license. When I was an instructor at the juvenile detention center, I used to go around the flower beds at the school and in front of the train station with the boys.
2
Joy that you have given up
Doing karaoke.
I built a karaoke school on the second floor of my house and enjoyed inviting people from the community to come. (I felt depressed when it was destroyed.)
3
Joy that remains with you even after onset
Entertaining people.
To address my hope to "entertain people!!", BLG opened a izakaya for one day, and I served food to my friends.
4
Joy that remains with you even after onset
Reunions with friends.
I was the reunion organizer for all 23 years.
5
Joy that remains with you even after onset
Singing
6
Joy that remains with you even after onset
Learning work procedures.
I am learning a lot about new tasks at BLG, for example.
Something you would like to do in the future
I feel I do not want to cause trouble to others as much as possible.
My wife often tells me that I tend to use commanding language that I picked up from my work. For example, "Have you done it?"
Because I like detailed work, I want to make signs, which BLG (day service) does.
I want to continue studying at BLG because I can learn a lot of new things that I do not know.
If BLG has more staff, they can take us to places we each would like to go. If BLG can increase the number of staff by improving compensation and other benefits, I would like to go to karaoke.
Challenges in daily living
WEAR
EAT
RESIDE
BUDGET
BUY
MOVE
SOCIALIZE
PLAY
STUDY
WORK-
11 Areas of Daily LivingDaily Living ChallengeDATAthe Mental or Physical DysfunctionKnowledge
-
I take medicines every day but forget on occasions. So I set them on my calendar. -
I cannot sleep soundly, and my sleep is shallow. When I cannot sleep, I listen to late-night radio programs to lull me to sleep.
Physical and mental dysfunctions
Message to the society
In the juvenile reformatory where I worked for a long time, there were many biker gangs, as they are now today.
They were all looking at their parents' faces and attitudes, and their parents often said that, if children go delinquent, parents will be laughed at by the society. Most parents were really strict, telling their children not to "disgrace parents' faces" and lecturing them on various things. Many of their children reacted by trying to do things to embarrass their parents.
In the reformatory, there was also bullying. So boys would think about escaping beyond the walls.
Because I was doing this kind of work, my son once went somewhat delinquent. His friends told him things like, "Your father is an instructor at the reformatory" and "That is why you cannot do anything bad." My son felt that he had to socialize with his friends to some extent and even acted like a biker gang.
When that happened, I think what eventually saved him was the friendship between the boys, too.
I feel happy when I know what I do makes people happy and the happiness comes back to me. I also have dementia, but it has not gotten much worse since I came to BLG. So I think I have to do my best not to let it get worse. Looking at others whose conditions are getting worse, I sometimes feel that I am most capable.
I would like to have the number of staff increased at BLG. A small number of staff cannot take us to where we each want to go.
Mr. Moriya is working hard, for example by picking up users, and I think it is hard work.
It is a comfortable place where everyone enjoys fooling around together.
We tell jokes and laugh together, and I do not have time to worry.
Each of them is trying to live life to the fullest. I am watching them and think that they must be fighting. When asked something, they say they do not know with serious looks on their faces. I thought they were joking at first, but they seriously have no idea. Even when I want to get mad at them, I cannot argue with them reasonably. They are trying hard and still not making any sense. Sometimes they show their frustration not in words but in their abrupt attitudes. Some people actually end up yelling at them. I think it takes learning to become able to suppress anger when spending time with people with dementia.
I would be in trouble if I did not have family.
As a man, I cannot let these words come out of my mouth. If I do, some might say I must have lost my mind. However, I am truly grateful to my wife for taking care of me.
She is my emotional support.