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| Opinions from Stakeholders |
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Community development as the ultimate goal in dementia care |
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  e-book format (Environmental and Social Report 2009) |
(The interview was published in Environmental and Social Report 2009.)
Eisai invites stakeholders to provide feedback, encouraging them to share their impressions and expectations of the Eisai Group.
Their valuable input is used to help Eisai realize its hhc philosophy, and their opinions and suggestions help shape future initiatives. |
Dr. Kazuo Hasegawa
Director Emeritus
Tokyo Dementia Care Research and Training Center
Social Welfare Corporation Yokufu-kai
[Profile]
Dr. Kazuo Hasegawa, a specialist in geriatric psychiatry and dementia, is professor emeritus and board chairperson at St. Marianna University School of Medicine Hospital. Dr. Hasegawa has been active as a leader in dementia treatment and care, making many contributions in the field such as development of the Hasegawa Dementia Scale — Revised (HDS-R) in 1974, a measure used for assessing clinical symptoms of dementia. He led the official change in the Japanese term for dementia from chiho, which carries discriminatory connotations, to the neutral ninchisho. |
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| Dr. Hasegawa, as a leader in the field of dementia treatment and care, how did you first get involved in medical care for the elderly? |
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| Hasegawa: |
I have been involved in medical care for the elderly for over 40 years. The foundation of my practice is fieldwork. Beginning in 1973, I was conducting a survey of 5,000 dementia patients living at home in Tokyo. At that time, little information was yet available about the signs of dementia. So I went around making house calls, sometimes through snow or wind, visiting participants thought to have dementia. This process made me very aware of the worries of patients and the burden on family members—all the realities of caregiving.
Knowing the anxiety and suffering of patients and their caregivers was also what led me later to start an adult daycare service at St. Marianna University School of Medicine Hospital. My intention with the daycare was to provide some level of support and comfort, taking the time to listen to families' fears and questions and find solutions, a process which there is not enough time to do during an outpatient exam. Incorporating real care into medical treatment in this way had a major repercussion back then. |
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| Later, a clinical trial of Aricept® as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease was initiated. Could you tell us how that went? |
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| Hasegawa: |
There was no medicine for Alzheimer's disease before the release of Aricept®. When informing patients and their family members, the only thing we doctors could say was, “There is no treatment for this disease; you just have to cope with it through family members' support.” This was very painful news for patients and their families to accept.
The clinical trial of Aricept® began in 1989. Forgetfulness, which is
a major symptom of Alzheimer's disease, occurs as the person loses his or her memory, which means patients are not always conscious about their illnesses. Thus, it was very difficult to demonstrate improvement as a result of taking the medicine.
In order to prove the medicine's effect scientifically, we faced the great challenge of forming a team of examining physicians, evaluators, clinical psychologists, and nurses. Eisai's president, Mr. Naito, used to share his enthusiasm with us, saying that he hoped the drug lives up to the expectations of patients who are eagerly waiting for it. We finished up the clinical trial after about 10 years. |
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| Now that Aricept® is being delivered to patients, what are your expectations of Eisai? |
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| Hasegawa: |
The development of a treatment for dementia has greatly changed patients' day-to-day life and the structure for medical care of dementia. I think Eisai should be proud of this achievement. The fact that there is a drug that can stem the progression of dementia is a boon to both patients and physicians. Eisai has the mission and the responsibility to make Aricept® available to as many patients as possible. That, I think, is the obligation of the company that developed the drug.
Dementia patients and their families have no choice but to live with this disease, and they need cooperation from supportive communities, including the people who live in the neighborhood and the government authorities. I hope that Eisai will work side-by-side with the rest of us in community-led efforts to foster communities supportive of patients with dementia, where they can feel safe and comfortable. |
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| What should Eisai's role be in your vision of fostering such a community? |
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| Hasegawa: |
Fighting dementia is not something that can be done alone; it is vital that people support each other. In that sense, I think that community-led community development is the ultimate goal in dementia care.
I want Eisai to be well aware of the importance of fieldwork, to have its people visit the places where medical and nursing care really happen, and then to carry out activities based on a good understanding of reality. I would like to see Eisai get involved with community development from a corporate perspective by providing information and tools related to dementia treatment and care, encouraging early detection through health checks and other steps, organizing patient education forums, and helping to foster communities where residents help each other hand-in-hand. This should, I hope, lead to the creation of communities where dementia patients and their families can live meaningful lives, free of worry and fear.
I hope that Eisai will pursue activities that give all of its employees a fervent passion to make positive contributions to patients, and then translate their passion into a commitment from each employee to practice the hhc philosophy. |
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