Dedicated carer receives international award

18 May 2015

When Keiko Matsushima discovered that her husband Kenji had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease, the couple was terrified that he would be discriminated against and lose his job. They were deeply ashamed and for the next 12 years, they kept Kenji’s dementia a secret. Little did they know, many others in Japan had been living with dementia in secrecy.

However, when the Japanese government made plans to cut care insurance provisions, Keiko made the decision to speak out about the disease in her community and collected 300 signatures to support her cause. Both Keiko and Kenji have also contributed to discussions about early onset dementia with the government and helped build awareness around the disease.

And just last month, Keiko was awarded the Alzheimer’s Disease International Family Carer of the Year Award, which aims to shine a light on the unpaid family carers who help improve the lives of their loved ones.

“I have been entirely involved in caring for 12 years. In the beginning, I felt ashamed that Kenji was suffering from dementia and I tried to conceal it as much as I possibly could. Through the interaction with supportive people, I could finally understand dementia. I cherish being with Kenji and would like to connect with others caregivers and dementia sufferers in the future as well,” says Keiko.