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The number of dementia sufferers reported to police as missing last year totaled 19,000, hitting a record high. Of these people, 70% were found on the same day they went missing, but there were cases in which it took more than a month to find the missing person.
Cases in which such missing persons were found dead are not few and far between. Last year, the number of such people exceeded 500, including those who had gone missing before 2023. In addition to traffic accidents, other causes of their deaths are believed to have included drowning in rivers or irrigation ditches as well as hypothermia from being outdoors in the cold for long periods of time.
In missing person cases, the longer it takes to find someone, the greater the risk of them being involved in an accident. Finding them quickly helps save lives.
As symptoms of memory impairment progress, many people with dementia forget where they are going halfway through their outings. The risk of dementia sufferers going missing cannot be overlooked, even for those with mild symptoms.
Some local governments across the nation have the elderly wear a GPS device to locate them.
In addition, some municipalities distribute stickers with QR codes for dementia sufferers to put on their clothes and belongings. When a person finds someone who appears to be lost and scans the QR code with a smartphone, family members or relevant others will be notified.
In many cases, missing elderly people have been found by passersby. If an elderly person who appears to be in trouble is spotted, people are encouraged to speak to them and ask if they need help.
There are some tips on how to talk to such seniors, such as speaking kindly and clearly from the front so as not to startle them. These tips are provided in places such as local governments’ websites, and it is hoped that they are used as a reference.
Malicious crimes that take advantage of a person’s declined ability to make judgments have also continued to occur.
Recently, a case was uncovered in which real estate agents in Tokyo had sold property to a person with dementia at a price far above the market rate.
The agents reportedly narrowed down targets by making phone calls to elderly people to determine their level of judgment and find out whether they lived with family members. The agents are also said to have had a manual for defrauding seniors of their assets.
Police should disseminate information about such fraudulent tactics to households and crack down on these despicable crimes.
It is also crucial for the elderly to prepare not to lose their retirement funds while they are still capable of making judgments. There is also a family trust method, in which family members or other reliable people are entrusted with the management of assets.
Amid a growing number of the elderly who live alone, it is essential for society as a whole to support people with dementia.
