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A new center will be created to regularly monitor dementia care in Australia with an injection of $ 38.5 million in federal funds.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) will receive $ 13 million to establish the new national surveillance center, and an additional $ 25.5 million from the government’s $ 185 million dementia mission, Aging and Elderly Care (DAAC) was allocated to fund research.
Health Minister Greg Hunt made the Monday funding announcement to coincide with Dementia Australia week. He said the new monitor would help close “critical gaps” to support national dementia policy and care services.
“The research will improve the quality of life for Australians as they age, reduce the stigma associated with dementia and lead to better outcomes for older people,†Hunt said.
“We know that dementia is now the third leading cause of morbidity in Australia and that as our population ages, the number of Australians with dementia is expected to more than double by 2058,” said Hunt.
The $ 25.5 million will also help develop a roadmap and implementation plan to better support Australians with dementia.
This week, the AIHW released a landmark study – the 2021 Australia Dementia Report – which confirmed dementia as the second leading cause of death in Australia. For Australian women, dementia is the leading cause of death.
According to the report, there are up to 472,000 people with dementia in Australia. More than half of the number of residents of nursing homes in Australia are also affected by dementia.
Richard Colbeck, Federal Minister for Aged Australians and Elderly Care Services, said this year’s theme for this year’s week of action, “a little support makes a big difference”, was relevant to many.
“People with dementia deserve our understanding, love and support. It’s about seeing the person behind the diagnosis – someone with a life, passions and connections, â€Colbeck said.
“Many people with dementia can continue to live well for many years to come, but it remains a complex and often misunderstood condition. ”
He added that the findings of the AIHW report validated the priority of care for people with dementia in the federal government’s reform plan for care of the elderly, which included funding for additional home caregivers.
“We know that as many as 337,200 Australians care for someone with dementia, and one in three caregivers feel worried or depressed about this role,” said Colbeck.
“Our elderly care reform agenda includes additional support for caregivers of people with dementia through the National Dementia Support Program, more respite care spaces and better models of specific respite care for people living with dementia. Madness.”
The health minister noted that the government’s $ 17.7 billion program to reform elderly care focused on improving the quality of care for people with dementia.
“[This] includes an investment of $ 229.4 in specific reforms to improve the quality of life and care of people with dementia, â€said Hunt.
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