Last call for dementia plan feedback

It is already one of the leading causes of deaths among the elderly in Australia – and the impact of dementia on health professionals and the wider public is expected to continue increasing.
 
Now the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoH) is calling for feedback to help shape a 10-year plan to tackle the disease.
 
According to the DoH, the feedback gathered will allow those with lived experience of dementia, including people living with the disease, carers, loved ones, health and aged care workers, as well as researchers and academics, to have a voice in the plan.
 
The DoH says the plan aims to facilitate more coordinated care, early diagnosis, and better support for carers over the next 10 years.
 
The upshot will be the National Dementia Action Plan, designed for all levels of government across the country, and intended to provide a ‘national vision’ for tackling the disease and encourage ‘a society that’s more understanding and more inclusive of people living with dementia’.
 
The plan will guide actions ‘so health, acute and aged care systems work more seamlessly and broader policies and programs consider dementia’, according to the DoH.
 
Additionally, an accountability framework will be developed so progress can be tracked, with the plan aiming to involve the whole community.
 
In 2022, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimated there were around 401,300 people in the country living with dementia.
 
Dementia Australia puts the number even higher at up to 487,500 people.
 
According to AIHW calculations, that equates to 15 people with dementia per 1000 residents, a number that increases significantly to 84 people per 1000 among those aged over 65.
 
Almost two-thirds of people with dementia are women, and the AIHW predicts the number of people with the disease in Australia will more than double by 2058, affecting around 533,800 women and 315,500 men by that time.
 
A consultation paper for the National Dementia Action Plan has been published on the DoH website. The consultation is open until 31 January.
 
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