The federal government may be in the process of formulating a National Dementia Action Plan (NDAP) for the next 10 years, but advocates want to see more funding for dementia support in this month's federal budget.
Dementia is the leading cause of death for Australian women and the leading cause of premature death in older Australians.
About 400,000 people of all ages are living with some form of dementia across the nation, which is expected to nearly double in the next 30 years.
In its 2023 pre-budget submission to the government, Dementia Australia chief executive Maree McCabe said it had called for $66 million over the next five years for three key focus areas.
"Number one is workforce," she said.
"It's about mandatory education for all people working in aged care."
Ms McCabe said 70 per cent of the 300,000 people living in residential aged care had dementia, which was why workers in residential aged care and community care needed better education.
The peak body was also prioritising risk reduction programs and creating dementia-friendly communities.
"The research is becoming more compelling, that changes in lifestyle, modifiable life factors, can make a difference to reducing our risk of developing dementia," Ms McCabe said.
She said it was vital Australia had a national plan after the previous National Framework for Action on Dementia expired in 2020.
"We've been involved in that process, supporting people living with dementia having input … so it's important that all governments get behind the plan and support that."
A Department of Health and Aged Care spokesperson said the NDAP's public consultation process between November 18 and January 31 had "attracted a high degree of interest," but the final plan would not be released until 2024.
Dementia impacts increasing
According to provisional data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, dementia will soon take over as the leading cause of death in Australia.
It is currently second to Ischaemic heart disease.
Ms McCabe said its growing impact was a key reason why more research and funding was needed.
"Without a breakthrough of some sort, we're looking at around a million people living with dementia by 2058," she said.
"There just won't be anyone in Australia that doesn't know somebody who is living with dementia."
"One of the most critical things is for carers of people living with dementia to get support because they cannot support their loved one with dementia if they are not getting support."
Managing dementia
Veronica Parker experienced first-hand the struggle of caring for a loved one with dementia and said earlier support would have helped her late mother, Pat Parker.
Ms Parker said her family first started to notice Pat's symptoms when she could not remember her grandchildren.
Pat was diagnosed with early onset dementia in her late 50s.
Her husband Leo Parker became her primary carer and they lived on their Quambatook farm, in rural Victoria, where her condition progressively worsened.
The couple had cleaning support through their local council and a weekly visit from a nurse, but Ms Parker said getting government assistance was challenging.
"Like any governmental thing, you've got to jump through hoops to get the help and if you don't ask for the help you don't know what's out there, and it's hard to find the help unless you know where to ask," she said.
Anaesthetic during hip surgery and a fall only hastened Pat's condition, and she eventually moved into a nursing home half an hour away in Wycheproof.
COVID-19 lockdowns prevented Veronica from seeing her mother throughout much of 2020, but she was by Pat's side when she died in 2021, aged 77.
"Apart from trying to make her comfortable, there's no way you can understand what they're going through," Ms Parker said.
"It's just a horrible disease to see taking over a loved one's life."
Government programs listed
The Health and Aged Care spokesperson said the government had provided $640 million over four years to support people living with dementia, and their carers.
That included funding for a national dementia training program for health and aged care professionals, and specialist support for people experiencing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler last month announced funding for a range of budget measures to strengthen Medicare, which would contribute to providing additional support for people living with dementia.
