October 1, 2023 (2nd Edition)

Care Prevention
─ Contribution to community well-being through care prevention ─Community welfare support for theNational Institute for Minamata Disease
As a part of our efforts to support the welfare of the community, we conducted along-term preventive care program for the elderly in Minamata City and its
surrounding areas from 2006 to 2012. From 2013, we aimed to make this long-term
prevention care program take root in the local community as a place for “buildingcommunities and friendships.”● Cooperation with the Council of Social Welfare
Handicraft classes are held in support of the “CommunityLiving” program organized by the Minamata City Council ofSocial Welfare. Handicraft and fun exercise classes are held in
support of the “Fureai Iki-iki Salon,“ organized by the Izumi CityCouncil of Social Welfare. Handicraft classes are held with thesupport of the “Itte-miyu-kai” held by the Tsunagi Town Councilof Social Welfare.

■ Care Prevention Project Achievements of NIMD
FY2006 - FY2008: Home support model study, including care prevention
FY2009 - FY2011: Community development project for home care support, including healthcare practice
FY2012:Community welfare promotion business for supporting MD victims● Renovation of a community center (Minamata City)
Prior to this, the Minamata City Council of Social Welfare implemented the following
projects on behalf of NIMD *No renovation projects are currently underway.
Providing all the necessities for a comfortable stayRenovation of toilets and slopes among others.

Stickers were attached tothe items provided by theNIMD.
Japanese style toilets were changed to Western style toilets

Entrance (steps) was modiﬁed to entrance ramp

Brain training by making things
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

is a condition that lies between ［ MCI as a turning point in dementia ］
healthnormal cognition and dementia.
Although it does not interfere

Appropriate Prevention
and Treatment

with daily life, it can progress

Maintenanceand Recovery

to dementia within a few years
if left untreated.
Appropriate prevention andMCI

treatment during the MCI stage
can slow the decline in cognitive

dementiafunction and restore it to normal
levels.

It is well known that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in cognitive
function. The National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) measured the changesin brain blood ﬂow during production using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)*, andfound that the PFC is activated by production .
※NIRS：A method for evaluating brain activity using near-infrared light

The PFC, which plays an important rolein cognitive function, is activated.
Brain response when notcreating things

Brain response tocreating things

Marked in green or
light green color

Marked in red, yellow
or orange color

Unchanged
blood ﬂowerof prefrontal
cortex in
resting state

Increased bloodﬂow andactivation of
prefrontal
cortex: during
creating things

Handicraft classes● Fun brain training by making things
Therefore, we are holding craft classes as “fun brain training by makingthings” and conducting preventive care work as welfare support for theelderly in Minamata disease-affected areas. Attending handicraftclasses and making things together with many people can help
prevent dementia.

Handicraft scene

Handicraft scene

Fun exercise classes
Izumi City offers fun and healthy exercise classes to maintainphysical ﬁtness and cognitive function. Exercises are performed
using equipments such as balls and rings. Along with maintaining
physical ﬁtness, it is useful for maintaining cognitive function.

Examples of works

Activity Areas and Achievements
To date, we have provided

NIMD

support at 22 locations inNational Institutefor Minamata Desease

Minamata City, 32 locations
in Izumi City, and 18 districts

Districts implemented to date

Kumamoto●Minamata City：22 locationsin Tsunagi Town.

●Izumi City：32 locations●Tsunagi Town：18 locations

Kagoshima

Comments from Participants
The following are excerpts from the "Fun Brain Training through Manufacturing" questionnaire.

Making things while moving

Making things is engrossing

oneʼs fingers is fun and allows

and a lot of fun. Please do more

one to interact with others.

of it. It was fun. Thank you.

Please continue with this activity.

Questionnaire
According to surveys conducted
to improve activities, we receive
over 90% satisfaction annually.

■ Average satisfaction level in
Minamata over the past 5 years
Ordinary4％

Somewhatsatisfied 7％

Satisfied88％

Somewhatdissatisfied1％

Responses
2413

Minamata Health Expectancy
Extension Project
The NIMD, in cooperation with the Minamata City Council of Social Welfare,has planned the “Minamata Health Expectancy Extension Project.”By extending health expectancy*1, people can live longer.
It is also expected to reduce the burden on caregivers and reduce medical costs.

HealthyPre-frailty

Frailty*2

Nursing care required

It has been reported that four out of ten people who are frailty*2 at the age of 65 will die after 7 years.
Frailty can be prevented or reversed. To ensure that older people can continue to do “what they want todo” in 5‒10 years, we have been planning a frailty prevention project since FY2023. Once a month for 1year, an exercise class will be held by a professional trainer (homework muscle training is provided atthat time), and its effectiveness will be evaluated by comparing physical ﬁtness measured before andafter the exercise class.
If you are 65 years or older, live in Minamata City, and would like to participate, please contact theMinamata City Council of Social Welfare.
*1 Health expectancy: the period before a person requires nursing care;*2 Frailty: a state of mental and physical fatigue and weakness caused by aging

Please feel free to contact us if you are interested
in attending as an individual or as a group.
Comprehensive Medicine Section, Department of Clinical Medicine

TEL +81-966-63-3111

4058-18 Hama, Minamata City, Kumamoto, 867-0008
TEL +81-966-63-3111

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