Dementia Australia says in 2018 an estimated 4612 people in the electorate of Gilmore are living with dementia, but most of us struggle to communicate well with them.

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and is a major issue in an ageing population.

Compared to the rest of Australia, the Eurobodalla Shire has roughly double the number of people aged over 65 – about 25 per cent.

A Dementia Australia survey says most Australians “don’t know how to talk to people with dementia”.

In the Federal electorate of Gilmore there are an estimated 4,612 people living with dementia this year, which is expected to increase to 6,070 by 2028 and 8,402 by 2058.

Professor Hendry Brodaty, AO, is Dementia Australia’s honorary medical advisor and has urged residents to “understand how they can make a difference”. 

“The figures show that all Australians will be impacted by dementia in some way through caring for someone, knowing a friend or family member or receiving a diagnosis themselves,” Prof Brodaty said.

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said social isolation hurt, “as friends, family and their community struggle to understand how to best support and continue to include people living with the disease”.

“What has been heartening to see, though, is that 80 per cent of people surveyed had heard of dementia and, of those people, a further three-in-four people were able to correctly identify basic facts about dementia,” she said.

“It is concerning that four-out-of-five people surveyed believed that others feel uncomfortable around people with dementia and two-in-three believe that individuals have a negative perception of people with dementia.

“It really came down to people saying they just weren’t sure how to talk to someone with dementia.

“More than 60 per cent of people said they didn’t know what to say to someone with dementia, while more than 50 per cent said they were worried they wouldn’t be understood, that they would say the wrong thing or that they might hurt the feelings of a person living with dementia.” 

The survey also found  a perception in the community that there are a lot of services to support people living with dementia and that the community – in a general sense – cares about people with dementia.

“However, this finding is not reflected in the experience of what people living with dementia, families and carers are telling us; just knowing about the disease is not enough,” Ms McCabe said.

“The way we respond, communicate and interact with a person with dementia has an enormous impact on their day to day life and we can all do more to make sure people living with this disease remain included and accepted in their own community.

“An estimated 70 per cent of people with dementia live in the community, in their own homes, while more than half of those living in residential aged care have dementia.

“That’s why awareness, not just of the condition, but of its impacts, is essential. This is a real wake-up call as dementia impacts such a vast proportion of our community.”

More than 1,500 people across Australia took part in the survey, conducted by Reflections Research for Dementia Australia. The results have been released during Dementia Awareness Month, which runs throughout September.

The theme is Small actions, Big difference and aims to highlight the small actions people can take to make a big difference to people impacted by dementia, their families and friends.

As part of Dementia Awareness Month, Dementia Australia is asking the community to pledge their support to become a Dementia Friend, which gives people a better understanding of dementia and, through that, empowers people to do small, everyday things that can make a difference to someone living with dementia.

For instance, being patient in a shop queue, offering assistance if someone appears disoriented or confused, allowing extra time for inclusion in a conversation or taking in how the environment might be impacting on someone’s ability to focus or engage.

“Our Dementia Friends program that has been developed in conjunction with people living with dementia and carers is an engaging and positive way for people to learn more,” Ms McCabe said.

“It aims to remove the obstacles created when friends, family and the community are unsure how to provide better support and to transform the way we all, as a community, think, act and talk about dementia. Through a 15-minute online module that includes information and videos of people with the lived experience, everyone can find out what small actions they can do to make a big difference in their community to the lives of all people impacted by dementia.”

“More than 5,000 Australians have already signed up to become a Dementia Friend. People can find out more, and sign up, at dementiafriendly.org.au. We invite you to sign up too. The full report of the survey can be found at https://www.dementia.org.au/dementia-awareness-month/learn-more-about-dementia. 

Dementia Australia is the national peak body and charity for people, of all ages, living with all forms of dementia, their families and carers. It provides advocacy, support services, education and information.

An estimated 436,000 people have dementia in Australia. This number is projected to reach more than 1.1 million by 2058.

Dementia Australia is the new voice of Alzheimer’s Australia.

Dementia Australia’s services are supported by the Australian Government. National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500 Interpreter service available (The National Dementia Helpline is an Australian Government Initiative)

Dementia is a National Health Priority Area www.dementia.org.au