Rethinking dementia care in Australia

Abstract

Australia was the first country in the world to make dementia a national health priority. It launched a AUS$320 million Dementia Initiative in 2005, which included community care packages, funding for collaborative research centres, an advisory service for care staff, and a national dementia support programme. But, 7 years on, things seem to have gone awry. A new report by Alzheimer's Australia reveals that the country is failing the needs of people with dementia and their carers.The report found that patients and their carers have no clear pathway on how to access services and once they do find some support, it is often inflexible and cannot cope with the special needs that they require. Individuals with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and those with younger onset dementia face particular challenges accessing appropriate services. Furthermore, the report raised issues around delays in diagnosis, failure to refer to support services, and poor quality of care in residential facilities.Australia's dementia care system clearly needs reform. Allocation of key workers to help patients and carers navigate the system successfully and arrive at the best individual care plan will be crucial. Efforts are also needed to raise awareness among doctors and the public about the symptoms of dementia, ensure proper referral to support services, bolster services for specific groups such as younger people with dementia and Indigenous communities, and increase training initiatives to improve quality of care in aged residential facilities.Additionally, the government needs to get back on track with its Dementia Initiative. Worryingly, it pulled funding from the programme in 2011. Giving up on dementia now would be a grave error. It would reverse the gains of the Initiative and leave Australia unprepared for its oncoming dementia epidemic. Currently there are 1600 new cases of dementia in the country each week; by 2050 there will be 7400. Australia needs to make dementia a national priority again, now and for the long term. Australia was the first country in the world to make dementia a national health priority. It launched a AUS$320 million Dementia Initiative in 2005, which included community care packages, funding for collaborative research centres, an advisory service for care staff, and a national dementia support programme. But, 7 years on, things seem to have gone awry. A new report by Alzheimer's Australia reveals that the country is failing the needs of people with dementia and their carers. The report found that patients and their carers have no clear pathway on how to access services and once they do find some support, it is often inflexible and cannot cope with the special needs that they require. Individuals with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and those with younger onset dementia face particular challenges accessing appropriate services. Furthermore, the report raised issues around delays in diagnosis, failure to refer to support services, and poor quality of care in residential facilities. Australia's dementia care system clearly needs reform. Allocation of key workers to help patients and carers navigate the system successfully and arrive at the best individual care plan will be crucial. Efforts are also needed to raise awareness among doctors and the public about the symptoms of dementia, ensure proper referral to support services, bolster services for specific groups such as younger people with dementia and Indigenous communities, and increase training initiatives to improve quality of care in aged residential facilities. Additionally, the government needs to get back on track with its Dementia Initiative. Worryingly, it pulled funding from the programme in 2011. Giving up on dementia now would be a grave error. It would reverse the gains of the Initiative and leave Australia unprepared for its oncoming dementia epidemic. Currently there are 1600 new cases of dementia in the country each week; by 2050 there will be 7400. Australia needs to make dementia a national priority again, now and for the long term.