About the plan
We are collaborating with state and territory governments to develop the plan. It will provide immediate and longer-term actions over the next 10 years to improve the experiences of people living with dementia, their carers and families.
To develop the plan, we will:
- consider the evaluation of the previous National Framework for Action on Dementia
- respond to the findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
- consider feedback from stakeholder consultations.
Why this is important
Dementia is an emerging health issue and without a significant breakthrough, the number of Australians with dementia is projected to more than double by 2058.
While Australia is a global leader in many aspects of dementia care, support and research, there are gaps and challenges in the current system.
The plan responds to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommendations, including improving dementia diagnosis and better coordinating post-diagnostic care, increasing the understanding and capacity of health and aged care workers and improving support for carers.
The plan will put all people living with dementia, their families, and carers at the centre of all action on dementia.
Goals
The National Dementia Action Plan aims to:
- provide a roadmap, setting out where we want to be in ten years’ time
- guide action by Commonwealth, state and territory governments
- improve and integrate policies, services and systems for people living with dementia, their families and carers
- measure progress of actions against focus areas
- engage and inform the community to promote awareness and inclusivity.
Who we work with
To develop the plan, we are consulting with:
- peak bodies
- service providers
- researchers
- people with lived experience.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare will monitor performance of activities against the plan and implementation strategy. This will form part of the new National Centre for Monitoring Dementia.
Public consultation
The Commonwealth, state and territory governments are continuing to develop and refine the plan following feedback on a consultation paper.
The consultation paper set out:
- key elements of the proposed plan
- objectives, including possible actions and performance measures
- context regarding dementia, the people it impacts and the current service system
- background on dementia and the history of the proposed Action Plan
- an overview of how the plan will be implemented, governed and monitored.
The consultation paper formed the basis of a public consultation process, which occurred between 18 November 2022 – 31 January 2023. During this period, we received feedback through:
- an online survey
- email submissions
- a dedicated 1800 number
- tailored workshops with people with lived experience of dementia.
The consultation outcomes report summarises feedback on the key elements of the consultation paper. A full summary and condensed versions of the report are available.
To learn more about this consultation process, including statistics, what we heard and to read the consultation paper, see the Aged Care Engagement Hub.
Status
The Commonwealth is working with state and territory governments to finalise the Action Plan and ensure that it reflects the needs, experiences and requirements of people living with dementia, their families and carers. It is anticipated that the Plan will be in place in 2024.
This follows extensive consideration of feedback from the public consultation, including further engagement with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive roadmap with appropriate evidence, actions and outcomes measures to drive improvements to policies, services and systems.
More information
National Framework for Action on Dementia 2015–2019
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