Natsu Ando, with 20 Years of Caregiving Experience: “There’s No Need to Quit Your Job”… Why She Doesn’t Hesitate to Entrust Her Parent with Dementia to Professionals
According to the latest research report, it is estimated that by 2030, “about one in seven” people aged 65 and older will develop dementia. It is no longer uncommon for people with elderly parents to face the challenge of caring for them as they develop dementia.
According to the results of a “Survey on Preparations for Caring for Parents” released by Sumitomo Life last November, 80.7% of respondents said they felt “anxious” about providing care if their parents required it. Regarding how they would respond if their parents needed care, 75.2% said they had “no plans in place or understanding of what to do.”
As these survey results indicate, there are quite a few people who, despite feeling anxious about caring for their parents, are putting off making preparations. However, it is impossible to know when or under what circumstances the day will come when you must face the reality of caregiving. To avoid panicking when that time comes, it would be best to start with the preparations you can make now…
Do You Really Know Your Parents’ Favorite Foods?
“ There are things you can do while your parents are still healthy,”
That’s the advice offered by Natsu Ando, the “tsukkomi” (straight man) of the comedy duo “Maple Chogokin” and a certified care worker.This past March, she co-authored *What You Should Know About Dementia: A Super Beginner’s Guide for Families and Individuals to Continue Living Authentically* (KADOKAWA) with Dr. Masahiro Shigeta, a specialist in dementia. In a dialogue format with Dr. Shigeta,“misconceptions about dementia,” “how families can cope,” and “how to seek help from third parties.”
“I think it’s a good idea to get to know your parents’ favorite foods, hobbies, and social circles now. Mothers, in particular, tend to put themselves last, so children often don’t know what their mothers actually like—don’t you find that surprising? Actually, I was the same way.
Whenever I went back to my parents’ house and asked my mother, ‘What would you like to eat?’, she would always reply, ‘Anything is fine.’ Until then, that was the end of the conversation. But one day, I took a step further and asked, ‘What do you really like?’ Finally, she said, ‘I like Chinese food.’ That was the first time I’d ever known that.”
Ms. Ando says that understanding your parents’ daily lives—including their routines, hobbies, and favorite places—will be helpful if they ever develop dementia.
“If parents and children can make time to ‘do something together,’ they won’t be stuck in the fixed roles of ‘caregiver’ and ‘care recipient,’ I feel we can rediscover the essence of our parent-child relationship . For example, with cooking, it could involve the two of us working together to recreate the family flavors my mother has preserved for so many years.”
Of course, you don’t need to know everything perfectly. I’ve come to realize that, even before thinking about caregiving, it’s important to be mindful of your parents’ daily routines and way of life.”
If you have a reasonable understanding of your parent’s usual daily routine and behavior patterns, you’ll likely be able to notice “small changes”—such as early symptoms of dementia or a decline in physical function—at an early stage.
Any unusual change in your parent is a sign to seek professional help without hesitation
As Ms. Ando also emphasizes in her new book, *What You Need to Know About Dementia*, she advises that if you notice a change in your parent, “you should seek professional help early on without hesitation.”
“I believe that the moment you think, ‘This is different from usual’ or ‘Something seems off,’ is the right time to seek help from care and welfare professionals.
In such cases, the place to turn to is the ‘Community Comprehensive Support Center,’ which serves as a one-stop consultation hub for caregiving. These centers are generally located within the welfare departments of municipal offices across the country, and you should contact the center in the area where your parent lives.”
People tend to think they should only use these services once care is actually needed, but that’s not the case. You can seek advice even for minor concerns, such as ‘My mother, who lives alone, seems to be getting forgetful’ or ‘Her room is often messy.’ Since they also offer telephone support, you can consult with them even if your parents’ home is far away.”
With about 20 years of experience in the caregiving field, including volunteer work, she says, “Precisely because professionals aren’t family members, they aren’t swayed by emotions and can provide care based on knowledge and skills.”
“Caregiving is a 24-hour commitment. If you try to handle it all on your own as a family, I think there’s no escape. It’s also difficult to find the time to do things together. To preserve your emotional and time resources, I hope you’ll consider enlisting the help of professionals.
If my parents ever need care, I plan to rely on government services or bring in a third party. Technically, I could handle it myself, but I feel it would be impossible unless I could set aside my personal image of my mother and treat her simply as a care recipient. If it means having to set aside my own emotions, I’d rather bring in a third party. I want to provide the kind of care that only family can give, and I want to approach my parents with a gentle heart.”
You Don’t Have to Quit Your Job to Care for a Family Member! Take Advantage of Government Programs
According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of people who quit their jobs to provide care—which stood at approximately 34,000 in 2000—is projected to rise to nearly 93,000 by 2024.Meanwhile, guidelines for business leaders issued by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry predict that by 2030, the number of people caring for family members will rise to 8.33 million, of whom 3.18 million (about 40 percent) will be “working caregivers” who care for family members while holding down a job.
“I don’t think you need to quit your job to care for your parents. Your own life is important, and I’m sure your parents wouldn’t want that either.
Japan has systems in place such as nursing care leave and nursing care sabbatical. I want the working generation to know that the law allows them to take time off work for the purpose of providing care.”
Community Comprehensive Support Centers are staffed by professionals such as social workers and care managers who provide counseling to family caregivers. They offer information on necessary services while taking the family’s burden into account, so I believe that by consulting with them, it is possible to balance work and caregiving.”
Misconceptions About Dementia and the Evolving Care Landscape
For Ms. Ando, *What You Should Know About Dementia* is her third book, including co-authored works, but she says she gained new insights while working on this book with Dr. Shigeta.
“When Dr. Shigeta, a specialist in dementia, told me, ‘It takes a very long time to reach a diagnosis of dementia,’ it really struck me. I had assumed that doctors made diagnoses immediately based on the results of imaging tests like CT or MRI scans. Learning that they carefully and thoroughly assess the condition of the brain, cognitive function, and overall health over time completely changed my perspective.
I feel like the term ‘dementia’ carries a negative connotation—it’s often seen as a sad disease where people forget everything and lose their sense of reality. But I’ve actually learned that it doesn’t mean the brain’s overall function stops; there’s always room for the brain to adapt. Dr. Shigeta also taught me that when people can’t recall something, it’s not so much that the memory is lost, but rather that it’s simply difficult to retrieve.”
If we could understand even a little bit of the “reasonscaused by the disease” behindthe behaviors of people with dementia—why they might lash out verbally or wander off alone—I think our perception of dementia would change. That’s what I felt after listening to Dr. Shigeta speak.”
What are your thoughts on the current state of long-term care in Japan?
“The labor shortage just doesn’t seem to be going away. With the declining birthrate, the working-age population is shrinking, too.
However, the other day, I felt that the future of caregiving looks a little brighter.”
Care work—such as transferring care recipients from their beds to wheelchairs or assisting with bathing—places a heavy strain on the lower back.In fact, so many people leave the field due to back pain. Machines are now being introduced to assist with these tasks, and the technology is advancing rapidly. It also seems that digitization is reducing the time needed to create the care records required for handoffs between staff members. I felt that this might help alleviate the staffing shortage on the front lines to some extent.”
Some survey reports indicate that the wages of full-time care workers are about 110,000 yen lower than the average across all industries. Even though this is an indispensable job in Japan’s super-aging society, if wage levels remain this low, I don’t think the labor shortage will be resolved anytime soon.
“ I get the sense that many people have a negative image of caregiving, thinking, ‘It’s such hard work, yet the pay is low.’ This might be because professional caregiving and family caregiving are often lumped together.
Family caregiving is truly difficult. But professional caregiving is different. I want people to think of professional caregiving and family caregiving as separate things. For care workers, it’s a job, and they approach it with the proper skills and a sense of pride.Every job has its challenging aspects to some degree. At the very least, I found it ‘enjoyable’ and ‘rewarding.’ I really want people to understand that.”
It’s okay to use care services more casually
It’s undeniable that both “long-term care” and “dementia” suffer from negative perceptions due to public misunderstandings and preconceptions. The Japanese national character—which tends to be concerned with such background factors and social standing—may be contributing, at least in part, to the mindset that “dementia care is the family’s responsibility.”
“As Dr. Shigeta also mentioned, there seem to be people who, while worried that their parent might have dementia, hesitate to seek help because they feel, ‘I know someone at the city hall, so it’s embarrassing to consult them.’ The negative image associated with dementia may give rise to feelings like ‘it makes me look bad’ or ‘I don’t want others to know.’ I completely understand the reluctance to bring in a third party.
But people aged 40 and older are paying long-term care insurance premiums. You may not be aware that you’re contributing, but the premiums are properly deducted from your salary and other sources.”
Japan has a long-term care insurance system, and citizens have the right to receive care services when they need them. There’s no reason not to use it.”
According to Mr. Ando, “You should just use it more casually.”
“I think a casual approach like, ‘I’ve got some points saved up—shouldn’t we use them soon?’ would be just fine.
After all, people will find out eventually. So rather than having them whisper behind your back, I want to be open about it myself and create a situation where neighbors can report things like, ‘I saw your mom wandering around on her own.’ The ideal is for the community to look out for one another.”
▼ Natsu Ando: Comedian and actress. Born in Tokyo in 1981. Formed the comedy duo “Maple Chogokin” with her partner Kazレーザー in 2012, serving as the straight man.After advancing to the finals of the M-1 Grand Prix in 2015, she has been active primarily in variety shows while also working as an actress. She has approximately 20 years of experience in the caregiving field. She holds the Initial Training for Care Workers certification (formerly Helper Level 2) and obtained the national certification as a Certified Care Worker in 2023.Her books include *20 Years on the Front Lines of Care* (Shufu to Seikatsusha), and she co-authored *What You Need to Know About Caregiving: A Super Beginner’s Guide to Money and Cost-Effective Services to Protect Both Your Frail Parents and Yourself* (KADOKAWA).
Reporting and Text： Sayuri Saito PHOTO： Kyodo News