Japan’s aged care facilities remain locked down amid a COVID-19 third wave, and now there are fears residents may develop dementia

The only contact Yuumi Matsuno has had with her mother since coronavirus reached Japan has been over the phone, separated by a pane of glass.

For 10 months, the nursing home Hisako lives in has limited all visitors from the outside, except staff, in part to prevent any potential spread of COVID-19.

While it has largely been successful, it has come at a cost.

“She [my mum] doesn’t talk as much as before,” Ms Matsuno said.

“When you speak on the phone, sometimes it’s hard to hear and perhaps she feels it is troublesome, so she speaks less.

“Also she doesn’t have a lot of topics to talk about as she does the same things inside.”

Holding her 91-year-old mother’s hand is what Ms Matsuno misses the most.