How do post-industrial societies address the challenge of dementia in the elderly? Since the care of individuals with dementia is often not manageable solely through family support or exclusively through institutional care, the question arises as to how local communities can contribute to solving this issue. Based on research conducted in a German and a Japanese care facility, the contributors to this volume present two different approaches. Through a cross-cultural analysis, they highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems and demonstrate new ways of caring for individuals with dementia within their local context.