Al-Jazirah

A very touching and humane idea was introduced at a restaurant in the Toyosu area of Tokyo, Japan. The restaurant has employed people with weak memory and Alzheimer’s to take orders.

In many societies, people with dementia are regarded with shame by their families. This restaurant introduced this idea to remind members of the public to pay more attention to people with memory loss. The initiative also provided customers with a unique experience; customers would often end up receiving meals that they had not ordered. This is what happened to a Japanese blogger who ordered a burger and ended up with dumplings.

In September on Alzheimer’s Day, this restaurant will become an international icon. It is on account of such simple, unique and surprising ideas that people are drawn to pay attention to those less fortunate around them. Being creative and thinking out of the box when launching awareness campaigns is necessary; this Japanese idea is a great example of this. The initiative respects sufferers and also enables them to successfully engage with society.

The more you are original in your ideas, the more you will achieve. This is applicable in so many things around us in life and particularly important when it comes to awareness campaigns. People are today searching for creativity and new ideas. Many of our charitable and humanitarian organizations mark events without engaging the people they care for. It is as if these organizations are ashamed of the less fortunate. We often do not see actual patients at such events, except on banners or in video presentations.

As a result, I recommend that the Saudi Alzheimer’s Disease Association allow patients to receive guests at their events and guide them to their seats. They should do this to show practical concern for patients and to let them engage with society. If they were to do that, then they would allow guests to experience what people with dementia feel and what their families go through.

I am pretty sure that guests would not mind sitting in the wrong place as long as there is some actual prior understanding that this might take place. This would truly have some impact and we would come to realize how important it is to take care of people with Alzheimer’s.