Kanemasa Ito feeds his dementia-stricken wife Kimiko, who needs constant supervision, at their house in Kawasaki, Japan.Behrouz Mehri / Agence Francepresse KAWASAKI, Japan - Kanemasa Ito compares caring for his wife Kimiko to waging a daily war with the devil. The woman he loved has all but disappeared - lost to dementia, she can no longer eat, bathe, or go to the toilet alone. There is a demon inside her head, Ito said, articulating the dramatic change in the person he'd built a life with, while she babbles nonsensically. One of the world's most rapidly aging and long-lived societies, Japan is at the forefront of an impending global healthcare crisis. Authorities are bracing for a dementia time bomb and their approach could shape policies well beyond its borders. By 2025, one in five of the over 65s - around 7.3 million people - in Japan will have dementia, the Health Ministry estimates, up from around 4.6 million now. Alzheimer's disease, a syndrome in which cognitive ability, emotional control and social behavior deteriorate, accounts for the majority of cases. Ito's wife was just 54 when she was first diagnosed. Now some 15 years on, he is close to breaking point trying to care for her and manage the disease. No longer able to discern what is harmful from what is safe - Kimiko has previously tried to drink cleaning products, unaware of the hazard of ingesting them - she needs constant supervision. It exhausts me, the 73-year-old confessed in an interview at their Kawasaki home. Their story is becoming increasingly common in a country where a lack of resources and caregivers means the burden falls increasingly on spouses and children. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is aiming to increase the number of nursing homes and raise care worker wages to tackle the problem. Dementia is a major global health issue with cases soaring as people live longer. The World Health Organization estimates a new case is diagnosed every four seconds. Many developed countries are already facing challenges on how to fund care, but Japan's issue is pronounced because its population has aged at a faster pace. The overwhelming mental, physical and economic burden of caring for a incapacitated loved one can push people to the brink. Between 1996 and 2015, there were 754 murder-suicide cases involving family caregivers, mostly men, in Japan, according to a study by Etsuko Yuhara, an associate professor of welfare at Nihon Fukushi University. Agence France-presse Ito, who had closed a convenience store he used to run to take care of his wife, said he hopes the government will create a better environment for caregivers. Every day is a battle, he said, referring to how Kimiko resists getting dressed in the morning and having her hair washed at night. He regularly takes Kimiko out for a walk in a nearby park and grocery shopping, but it is hard to know if she is aware of what is happening. Ito added: It's really tough to accept. 1 inch wide rubber bandscustom rubber braceletscustom rubber band braceletspersonalised silicone wristbands ukpaper bracelet templatejordan wristband rubberrubber bracelets custom cheap
BEIJING - Soon after being re-elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi Jinping on Wednesday presented the new CPC central leadership to the press and laid down a roadmap for the next five years. Amid applause, Xi led the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee into a brightly-lit room inside the grandiose Great Hall of the People, facing rows of eager journalists. Xi, 64, was flanked by Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. He smiled, waved to the journalists and took the podium. "I was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee," said a confident Xi against the backdrop of a giant Chinese landscape painting featuring the Great Wall. "I see this as not just approval of my work, but also encouragement that will spur me on," he said. Xi thanked all other members of the Party for the trust they have placed in the new leadership and vowed to work diligently to "meet our duty, fulfill our mission and be worthy of their trust." The coming five years, Xi said, will see several important junctures and signposts. "Not only must we deliver the first centenary goal, we must also embark on the journey toward the second centenary goal," he said. The year of 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of reform and opening-up. Xi said China will make determined efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and open still wider to the world. The year of 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The CPC will continue efforts to accomplish all the tasks laid down in the 13th Five-Year Plan, develop new blueprints for China's future, and see the flourishing of all the endeavors, he said. Xi reiterated the resolve to establish a moderately prosperous society across all metrics in 2020. He said the Party must remain committed to a people-centered philosophy of development and make steady progress toward enhancing the people's sense of fulfillment and realizing common prosperity for everyone. The CPC will mark its centenary in 2021. Xi said the Party will generate waves of positive energy which can build into a mighty and nationwide force driving China's development and progress. "For a party which fights for the eternal wellbeing of the Chinese nation, the centenary only ushers in the prime of life," Xi said. "As the world's largest political party, the CPC must behave in a way commensurate with this status." Xi said China will work with other nations to build a global community with a shared future, and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development for all humanity. He said the 19th Party Congress has received extensive and detailed reporting and the media coverage has captured the attention of the world. A total of 452 major political parties in 165 countries have sent 855 messages of congratulation to the CPC on the congress. Xi encouraged the press to continue to follow China's development and progress, and learn about and report on more dimensions of China. "We do not need lavish praise from others, however, we do welcome objective reporting and constructive suggestions, for this is our motto: 'Not angling for compliments, I would be content that my integrity fills the universe,'" Xi said.
