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Dementia in Australia
Topic: Dementia
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2022) Dementia in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 01 February 2023.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2022). Dementia in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus
Dementia in Australia. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 16 September 2022, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Dementia in Australia [Internet]. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022 [cited 2023 Feb. 1]. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2022, Dementia in Australia, viewed 1 February 2023, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus
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Australian stories about living with dementia
Australian stories about living with dementia - expandAustralian stories about living with dementia - collapse
Carrie's story
Len's story
Martina's story
Lucy's story
Jim's story
Understanding dementia - expandUnderstanding dementia - collapse
What puts someone at risk of developing dementia?
How is dementia diagnosed?
What care and support is available to people with dementia?
Population health impacts of dementia
Population health impacts of dementia - expandPopulation health impacts of dementia - collapse
Prevalence of dementia
Incidence of dementia
Deaths due to dementia
Dying due to dementia compared to dying with dementia
Impact of COVID-19 on deaths among people with dementia
Burden of disease due to dementia
Dementia burden due to risk factors
Carers and care needs of people with dementia
Carers and care needs of people with dementia - expandCarers and care needs of people with dementia - collapse
How do care needs of people with dementia differ by place of residence?
Carers of people with dementia
Impact of the caring role on carers
Employment and financial impact on carers
Carers unmet needs
Health services used by people with dementia
Health services used by people with dementia - expandHealth services used by people with dementia - collapse
GP and specialist services overview
GP consultations, management plans and medication reviews
Specialist consultations and other health services
Dementia-specific GP consultations
Prescriptions for dementia-specific medications
Antipsychotics and other medications dispensed to people with dementia
Prescribers of dementia-specific medications
Aged care and support services used by people with dementia
Aged care and support services used by people with dementia - expandAged care and support services used by people with dementia - collapse
Overview of Australia's aged care system
Aged care assessments
Community-based aged care
Residential aged care
Overview of dementia support services and initiatives
National Dementia Support Program and Dementia Friendly Communities
Dementia Support Australia
What carer support services are available?
Dementia in priority groups
Dementia in priority groups - expandDementia in priority groups - collapse
Understanding dementia among Indigenous Australians
Population health impacts of dementia among Indigenous Australians
Burden of disease due to dementia among Indigenous Australians
Hospital care for Indigenous Australians with dementia
Aged care service use by Indigenous Australians with dementia
Indigenous-specific health and aged care programs and caring roles among Indigenous Australians
Dementia among people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Cultural and linguistic diversity among Australians who died with dementia
Dementia among people with intellectual disabilities
Dementia among veterans
Dementia in the LGBTIQ+ community
Health and aged care expenditure on dementia
Health and aged care expenditure on dementia - expandHealth and aged care expenditure on dementia - collapse
Expenditure on aged care services
Total health expenditure and expenditure on hospital services
Expenditure on out-of-hospital services
Expenditure on dementia support services
National policy response to dementia
Technical notes - expandTechnical notes - collapse
Martina* started seeing the first signs of dementia a couple of years ago when it started to affect her ability to drive, which was an important part of her job.
'I started to forget where I was when I was driving… I was falling, I was tripping, I was just not really being aware of my own self. I didn't feel like myself.' About 8­–12 months later, she was diagnosed with Lewy body disease— a type of dementia that has similarities with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of Lewy body disease may include fluctuating mental states, confusion, issues with concentration, difficulty judging distances (which leads to falls), hallucinations and tremors.
Although Martina knew things weren't quite right, she says family and friends didn't seem to be aware of it at the time. Martina can no longer drive and had to hand in her licence. Other than that, she and her partner of 15 years live day by day and try not to worry about it too much.
'When I was first diagnosed I thought "Oh that's it I'll be in a nursing home". But as time goes along I've just learned to cope with it and thought "Ah well if that's the case, I'll just keep going and keep looking forward to the future."'
Martina lives in a rural part of Australia. She would have to travel to see a specialist, but at this stage she hasn't needed to. Her local GP is just 5 minutes away and she has no trouble getting an appointment when she needs one.
'I have great help here and feel well supported... I get help through the NDIS [National Disability Insurance Scheme] and help and support through my home care package as well.' This includes assistance with day-to-day life, such as house cleaning, as well as help with health services, such as physiotherapy.
Dementia Australia helped to organise the home care package and, for the moment, she is getting the assistance she needs. Home Care Packages provide community-based care to people with greater or more complex care needs (see Aged care and support services for people with dementia for more information on aged care services available to eligible Australians).
'I'm actually not too worried about it [dementia] any more,' she says.
*This case study is based on an interview with a person who has dementia. This personal account is not necessarily representative of the circumstances of other people with dementia or the challenges they may face, but it is our hope that it will give readers a greater awareness and understanding of the diversity of people's experiences with dementia.
*Names and identifying characteristics have been changed. Image is not representative of individuals in the story.
Last updated 27/07/2022 v18.0