(にんちしょう)

dementia

(ひと)

person / people

(ちいき)

region; area

(ささえる)

to support

(うごき)

movement; trend

(こうれいか)

ageing (of a population)

(すすむ)

to advance, to progress

(とりくみ)

efforts, initiatives

(ひろがる)

to spread

(こうせいろうどうしょう)

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

(いじょう)

more than; beyond this

(やく)

approximately, about

(しちにん)

seven people

(ひとり)

one person / alone

(いう)

to say

(かぞく)

family

(だけ)

only, just

(かいご)

nursing care

(つづける)

to continue

(むずかしい)

difficult

(まわり)

Surroundings; people around; vicinity

(たすけ)

help / rescue

(かかせない)

indispensable; essential

(かくち)

various places, everywhere

(し)

city

(まち)

town

(まなぶ)

to learn / study

(こうざ)

course; lecture series

(ひらく)

to open, to hold (event)

(さんか)

participation

(さぽーたー)

supporter

(よぶ)

to call

(みち)

road, street, path

(まよう)

to get lost, hesitate

(こえ)

voice

(かいもの)

shopping

(てつだう)

to help

(ぎんこう)

bank

(こんびに)

convenience store

(てんいん)

shop clerk

(うける)

to receive

(ふえる)

to increase; to grow

(いっぽう)

on the other hand / meanwhile

(たりる)

to be enough; to be sufficient

(おおい)

many

(せんもんか)

expert, specialist

(とくべつ)

Special; particular

(ひつよう)

necessary / needed

(きんじょ)

neighborhood

(かお)

face

(おぼえる)

to remember, memorize

(いつも)

always, usually

(ようす)

appearance; state

(ちがう)

to differ; to be different

(きづく)

to notice; to realise

(たいせつ)

important

(はなす)

to speak, talk

amid ~; while ~ is going on

なかで after a plain-form verb sets a wider background situation. The article opens with 高齢化が進む中で to frame everything that follows against Japan's ageing population.

is doing, has been doing (ongoing state/action)

Expresses a continuing action or resulting state. Formed with て-form + いる. Can describe an action in progress or a state resulting from a past change.

according to ...

Cites a source of information. The noun before によると is the source. Often followed by a reported statement.

passive voice: was/were ~ed

Passive form indicating that the subject receives the action. '食べられて' means 'were eaten'. Central grammar of this article about tulips being eaten by deer.

nominalizer (the act of ~)

Turns a verb phrase into a noun. Here 話を聞くこと (the act of listening to a speech).

about / regarding / concerning

Used to indicate the topic of discussion or consideration. Here it introduces the topic the team will think about.

doing things like A and B

Lists example actions.

come toward (action approaching)

Indicates motion toward the speaker or a location. Here it describes rocks flying toward people.

if / when (natural consequence)

Conditional と indicating a natural or expected result. 一緒に捨てると…火が出て means 'if you throw them away together, fire starts.'

認知症の人を地域で支える動き

A movement to support people with dementia in their local communities

高齢化が進む中で、認知症の人を地域で支える取り組みが広がっている。

As the population ages, efforts to support people with dementia within their local communities are spreading.

厚生労働省によると、六十五歳以上の約七人に一人が認知症だと言われている。

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, about one in seven people aged 65 or over is said to have dementia.

家族だけで介護を続けることは難しく、周りの助けが欠かせない。

It is hard for a family to keep providing care on its own, and help from the people around them is essential.

各地の市や町では、認知症について学ぶ講座を開いている。

Cities and towns around the country are holding courses for learning about dementia.

参加した人は「認知症サポーター」と呼ばれ、道に迷った人に声をかけたり、買い物を手伝ったりする。

People who take part are called "dementia supporters", and they do things like speaking to someone who has lost their way or helping with the shopping.

銀行やコンビニの店員が受けることも増えてきた。

It has also become more common for bank and convenience store staff to take the course.

一方で、支える人が足りない地域も多い。

On the other hand, there are many areas where there are not enough people to provide support.

専門家は「特別なことをする必要はない。

An expert says, "There is no need to do anything special.

近所の人が顔を覚えて、いつもと様子が違うと気づくことが大切だ」と話している。

What matters is that neighbours learn each other's faces and notice when someone seems different from usual."