Living Longer. Living Better.
Tackling Dementia
Dementia is predicted to become the leading cause of disability in Australia by 2016. For these reasons, the Government will take a proposal to the next meeting of Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers that dementia be added to the existing list of eight National Health Priorities.
The Government understands the despair and confusion faced by dementia sufferers and their families. The prevalence of dementia is growing and will increase from around 257,000 people in 2010 to just over 981,000 in 2050, with the growth rate expected to peak between 2021 and 2030 as the baby boomers age.
Supporting people with dementia across the health system ($41.3 million)
The Government will expand the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services into acute and primary care settings with a particular focus on support for older Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This will help workers and health professionals to better care for people with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. It will enable individuals with dementia to be cared for at home for a longer period of time.Support for more timely diagnosis
There is also a critical need for more timely diagnosis to improve quality of life for people with dementia, provide earlier medical and social interventions and reduce hospital admissions. More appropriate management of behavioural changes as dementia progresses and improved legal, financial and care planning are also critical. Between 50 to 80 per cent of people with early stages of dementia are not being diagnosed in primary care. For those who are diagnosed, many do not receive a diagnosis until three years after they first notice symptoms. The Government will support primary health care providers to undertake more timely dementia diagnosis. GPs and practice nurses will receive much needed training and education programs and improved support to help them better diagnose dementia. This will reduce the period from symptom onset to diagnosis.New Dementia Supplement
The Government is introducing a new Dementia Supplement to provide additional financial assistance for dementia care in recognition of the additional costs involved. There will be a significant increase in the number of people eligible for additional assistance as a result of this measure.Total Australian Dementia prevalence projections, 2012–2050
Text from image shown above
Estimated number of people by year
- 2012 - 278,707
- 2020 - 384,396
- 2030 - 553,285
- 2040 - 760,131
- 2050 - 942,624
Better care for older Australians with behavioural problems associated with severe dementia in residential care ($41.0 million)
Older people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia experience difficulty in gaining access to appropriate care, and can experience a lack of understanding of their care needs by staff in residential aged care services. This can lead to unnecessary hospitalisations, excessive use of medication and additional strain on aged care staff, residents and their families.The Government will therefore give providers an additional $5,789 per year, on top of normal subsidies to support people with severe dementia. Staff will receive improved training, guidelines and procedures will be developed to ensure best practice by aged care providers.
Better care for older Australians with dementia in Home Care packages ($123.3 million)
The Government will also provide additional financial assistance to people with dementia who are receiving Home Care packages through a new Dementia Supplement of 10% on top of the base funding for the package. This will significantly increase the number of people living in the community who will be eligible for this additional assistance.Improving acute care services for people with dementia ($39.2 million)
Often the specific needs of individuals with dementia are not recognised or addressed in hospitals, leading to longer stays than should be the case. The Government is allocating funding to develop and roll out systems to better support hospital patients with dementia. Staff will be trained to identify early signs of dementia particularly at the point of admission and be able to implement appropriate protocols.Improved support for people with younger onset dementia ($23.6 million)
There are approximately 16,000 people under the age of 65 living with younger onset dementia across Australia. There is low awareness, even among health professionals, that younger people may have dementia, resulting in poor access to care and social support. A lack of appropriate care facilities and services means that younger people are often moved between disability and aged care services.The Government will improve care and support for people with younger onset dementia, their families and carers. It will expand the National Dementia Support Program to improve access to better coordinated services. A national network of specialist key workers will provide a single point of contact to assist younger people with dementia and their carers at every stage of the journey following diagnosis.