Mark of the Beast Watch: Japan tags dementia sufferers with barcodes
The
World Health Organization says 36 million people around the world
suffer from some form of dementia, most of them with Alzheimers
Tokyo
(AFP) - A Japanese city has introduced a novel way to keep track of
senior citizens with dementia who are prone to getting lost -- tagging
their fingers and toes with scan-able barcodes.
A
company in Iruma, north of Tokyo, developed tiny nail stickers, each of
which carries a unique identity number to help concerned families find
missing loved ones, according to the city's social welfare office.
The
adhesive QR-coded seals for nails -- part of a free service launched
this month and a first in Japan -- measure just one centimetre (0.4
inches) in size.
"Being able to attach the seals on nails is a great advantage," a city worker told AFP.
"There are already ID stickers for clothes or shoes but dementia patients are not always wearing those items."
If
an elderly person becomes disorientated, police will find the local
city hall, its telephone number and the wearer's ID all embedded in the
QR code.
The chips remain attached for an average of two weeks -- even if they get wet -- the official said, citing recent trials.
Japan
is grappling with a rapidly ageing population with senior citizens
expected to make up a whopping 40 percent of the population around 2060.
Last
month, Japanese police started offering noodle discounts at local
restaurants to elderly citizens who agreed to hand in their driving
licences.
The
offer followed a series of deadly accidents involving elderly drivers
-- a growing problem in a country where 4.8 million people aged 75 or
older hold a licence.
