The role of home nursing visits in supporting people living with dementia in Japan and Australia: Cross-national learnings and future system reform

Japan and Australia are two western Pacific countries with divergent cultures and histories but they share a common public health concern of providing services for their increasing number of people living with dementia. Age is the greatest risk factor for developing dementia, and Japan is leading the world in aging populations. In 2016 in Japan 27.2% of the total population were over 65, while in Australia 15% were over 65. Both countries have responded to social preferences for community aged care. As a result, in Japan the Visiting Nurse Service Stations (VNSS) and in Australia community aged care service providers such as the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) are increasingly addressing the needs of people with dementia and their families.

This article presents three sets of data to compare developments in the two health systems and to describe the scope of nursing services for people with dementia in the community. For Japan we analyzed an annual survey of VNSS activities, checked the number of people with a primary diagnosis of dementia, and collected data on presenting conditions on 2012. For Australia we analyzed a sample of two Home and Community Care cohorts of RDNS clients. Results indicated that both generalist service systems include tailored person-centered care for people with dementia. The Japanese system has introduced Dementia Support Doctors while in Australia access to psychogeriatric care is still sparse. As the Asia Pacific region experiences aging populations, community services for people with dementia can use these two systems as models.