認知症の問題とは

Problems in dementia

世界的には認知症患者の有病率は先進国で高い．わが国では高齢化とともに認知症の有病率は増加してきており，特にアルツハイマー病の増加が著しい．認知症患者の増加に伴い，介護負担の増加，介護保険料の上昇，認知症患者を対象にした悪徳商法などによる金銭的トラブルの増加，認知症ドライバーによる事故の増加が問題となっている．この先ますます高齢化が進むと推定されているわが国では，認知症を克服するための医学研究，保健医療システムを発展させるとともに，認知症高齢者が安心して暮らせる社会を構築することが急務である．

Global prevalence of dementia is higher in developed countries.　Particularly, in Japan with the aging population growing rapidly, the prevalence of dementia has been increasing ; Alzheimer's disease has significantly increased to be the most frequent cause of dementia.　Social problems related to dementia have been recently recognized, including increased care burden, premium rises for nursing-care insurance, increase in financial trouble due to scams that target people with dementia, and increase in traffic accidents by drivers with dementia.　It is necessary to establish a society in which people with dementia can live without fear, as well as to make further progress in medical research for prevention and treatment of dementia and a health care system for people with dementia.