Dementia death rates rising

According to the ABS’ Australia's leading causes of death, 2016, 8447 Australian women died as a result of dementia in 2016, an average of 36 deaths a day. Overall, one of every 12 deaths in Australia last year (13,126 in total) had dementia as the underlying cause of death.
 
These increasing numbers are in contrast to other leading causes of death – heart disease, lung cancer and stroke – the mortality rates for which have all reduced since 2007.
 
Dementia was the third-leading cause of death among Australian men in 2016, with 4679 deaths recorded.
 
GPs have a key role in diagnosing and treating people with dementia, the majority of whom are aged older than 65 years. The RACGP’s Medical care of older persons in residential aged care facilities (Silver Book) has a number of recommendations for assessment, cognitive testing, differentiation of dementia from delirium and depression, management, management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, and medication management.
 
Further resources for GPs:
 

• The RACGP’s Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (Red Book) contains a section on the detection and management of dementia in older patients.
• The RACGP’s National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people contains information on dementia in its section on preventive health for the elderly.
• The Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre’s Clinical practice guidelines and principles of care for people with dementia in Australia is endorsed by the RACGP and provides comprehensive information to assist in the care of people with dementia.

ABS aged-care Australian-Bureau-of-Statistics dementia