Imagine living your entire life in a local community regardless of a diagnosis of dementia and/or where end-of-life care is needed.

According to an article by Caroline Egan, Sweden was the first to institute a “Community-based Integrated Care System” back in the 1970’s. This system provides health care, nursing care, prevention, housing, and livelihood support all within the local community. Fast-forward 20 years and Japan began to look to Sweden for ideas on how to provide that same type of community.

A great example of this is the Maihama Club and Orix Nursing home in Japan. Here, residents can recreate their lives as much as possible in the facilities, including bringing in their own furniture. Single and couple rooms are available, meals are provided by chefs who know the resident’s individual preferences, and the architecture considers those in wheelchairs.

This community-based approach can drastically improve the quality of life for those living with a diagnosis of dementia.

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