Electronic Applications, Medication Management, and Dementia ー　The Barriers Older Adults Face in Everyday Life November 5, 2026 (Thursday)— Life at Eden in 2026 Reiwa8

Today, my thoughts moved from applying for medical expense reimbursement to medication management, and finally to dementia.

It was a day that made me think deeply about the challenges older adults face in their daily lives.

Are Electronic Applications Really Convenient?

For the past few days, I have been struggling with the medical expense reimbursement system of the Shizuoka Prefecture Teachers’ Retirement Mutual Aid Association.

During my working years, medical expenses were calculated automatically. After retirement, however, I have to apply for reimbursement myself.

Until now, I have filled out the required forms, copied my receipts, and mailed everything in.

But postage has become more expensive, and the number of copies has increased. This time, I decided to try applying electronically.

Unfortunately, it was not simply a matter of operating a screen.

I had to create a medical expense data file, check the amounts charged by hospitals and pharmacies, and then enter the information into another application form.

The pharmacy expenses were not displayed as clearly as the hospital expenses. I had to investigate which hospital each prescription was associated with.

I had surgery in June and again in July, followed by outpatient visits and a 60-day stay at Dogo Onsen Hospital.

The medical expenses have been substantial. I would like to receive whatever reimbursement I am entitled to.

Yet even making dozens of copies, checking them against the original receipts, and organizing everything is exhausting.

I thought electronic applications would make the process easier. Instead, I found it more tiring than filling out forms by hand and sending them by mail.

Of course, the system may still be developing. I hope it will improve in the future.

But for older adults who are unfamiliar with digital devices, electronic procedures do not necessarily reduce the burden.

Why must we enter the same information repeatedly or submit data that already exists in another format?

If a system designed to make things convenient creates even more work for the people using it, something has gone wrong.

Medication Management: A Major Responsibility

Since moving to Eden, I have often noticed caregivers bringing medications to residents during mealtimes.

Today, the woman sitting in front of me said,

“I don’t think I’ve taken my medicine today.”

The caregiver replied,

“You took it earlier. I collected the empty packaging at that time.”

The woman then said,

“Was that so?”

Checking whether someone has taken their medication, preventing missed or duplicate doses, and collecting the empty packages all require careful attention.

Because medication is taken every day, these small checks are important.

During my hospital stays, the ability to manage one’s own medication was considered an important indicator of independence.

I have always managed my own medication.

But as people grow older, their memory may become less reliable, and the number of medications they take may increase. Something as ordinary as taking medicine can become an activity that requires support from others.

Today, a woman I spoke with at the bath said that she did not really know what medication she was taking. She simply took whatever her doctor prescribed.

That frightened me a little.

Doctors prescribe medication, pharmacists dispense it, and patients take it. Yet there are situations in which the patients themselves do not know what they are taking.

I wonder how many older adults are unable to keep their medication notebooks properly updated.

The My Number Card system has made it possible to share medication information, but it does not yet provide a complete picture of every medication a person takes.

Medication management should not be left entirely to the individual’s own effort.

Dementia and Personal Dignity

On Sunday, November 8, a professor from Ehime University will give a lecture on dementia.

I once underwent a hospital evaluation because of concerns about Alzheimer’s disease.

I had difficulty remembering proper names and sometimes repeated the same stories. My family pointed these things out, and I eventually underwent brain imaging and psychological tests.

After a series of demanding examinations, I was told that I did not have Alzheimer’s disease.

However, something from that hospital stay has remained strongly in my memory.

The doctors and nurses directed most of their questions to my husband rather than to me.

I was sitting right there, yet I felt as though my own thoughts and opinions were unnecessary.

The nurses also managed my medication and watched me take it.

At that time, I wondered whether having dementia meant not only living with an illness, but also being treated differently as a person.

There was another patient in the same room who was receiving an infusion of a newer dementia medication.

Today, treatments are available for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease that aim to slow the progression of the illness.

These treatments may require examinations, monitoring, and assistance from family members or caregivers.

But surely not everyone diagnosed with dementia loses the ability to live independently.

Could we not listen to the person’s own wishes, respect what they can still do, and support them in living in their own way?

At the lecture on the 8th, I would like to ask the professor about these questions.

The Barriers Older Adults Face

The things I thought about today seem to be connected.

Electronic applications require complicated digital skills.

Taking medication safely requires memory and the ability to manage one’s own medicines.

When dementia is suspected, medical professionals may sometimes speak to family members rather than to the person themselves.

Of course, some forms of support are necessary for safety. Neither healthcare nor administrative systems can be changed overnight.

Even so, shouldn’t we create systems that better reflect the needs of older people who are trying to live independently while coping with illness or injury?

Things that are supposed to make life easier can gradually become major obstacles for older adults.

Must they overcome these barriers through their own efforts alone?

These were the thoughts I had today.

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