The number of people with dementia who were reported missing grew 3 per cent year-on-year to 17,479 in 2019 in Japan, the National Police Agency said on Thursday.
Report says Japan is one of the most rapidly ageing countries in the world.
“The reading was the highest since the agency started to compile comparable data in 2012.
“Of the 17,479 people, the police were not able to locate 245 people by the end of 2019, while finding 16,775, including those reported missing in the previous year,’’ the agency said.
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The agency’s data also revealed that a total of 460 missing dementia patients died in accidents or due to other reasons.
“Japan’s police have built a network with local governments and businesses to share information to deal with the problem of missing people,’’ Kyodo News reported.
It noted that one in every five aged 65 or older, are expected to suffer from dementia in 2025.
“It is important that an entire society tackles the issue with close cooperation between family members, municipalities and businesses,’’ Ryota Takeda, head of the National Public Safety Commission, told a news conference. (dpa/NAN)
