As the spread of the new coronavirus spreads, dementia cafes where local elderly people gather are thoroughly searching for continuation of infection control measures, as the symptoms of dementia may progress if interaction is interrupted.
The "Omusubi Cafe" in Kita-ku, Tokyo has been held every month for six years to prevent dementia, and 10 elderly people living nearby visited this month as well.
The reception staff carefully asked each person about their body temperature and physical condition, whether anyone in their family had a fever, and guided them to the venue.
The venue was thoroughly disinfected and ventilated, and everyone wore masks, and for the first time, face shields were distributed to all participants.
Under the guidance of a clinical psychologist, the elderly who participated wore masks and worked on exercises and games to prevent dementia, and also wore face shields when singing songs.
According to the organization that operates the cafe, the cafe was temporarily suspended until June last year due to the influence of Corona, but during that time there were elderly people who tended to stay at home and their symptoms progressed. I am looking for a way to continue.
A 92-year-old man who cares for his wife at home said, "If I come here, I can meet someone to talk to, so I look forward to it every month. The infection is spreading, but I'm really grateful that you've managed to keep going." I was talking to
Akemi Fujita, a nurse at the "Mizube no En Senior Citizen Relief Center", which operates the cafe, said, "I continue to worry about how thorough infection control measures should be. I want to repeat it," he said.