Alzheimer’s Australia is calling for better dementia care and support following a report by Deloitte Access Economics that claims coastal and regional Australia are set to take the brunt of dementia rate increases.
More than 332,000 people were suffering dementia across the country last year, over 112,000 of them living in New South Wales.
According to the report, the Tweed state electorate is sitting at the top of the list. It is expected to have more than 5,000 residents living with dementia by 2050.
In the Ballina and Lismore electorates there are an estimated 2,420 people currently living with dementia, which is expected to increase to 3,000 by 2020 and 7,300 by 2050.
Alzheimer’s Australia CEO John Watkins believes now is the time to act to ensure that people with dementia and their carers have the services they need in the future.
‘Dementia is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain and is the third leading cause of death in Australia,’ Mr Watkins said.
‘The rise in the number of people with dementia is an indication of the huge challenge ahead.
‘It is essential that we start building better care and support for people with dementia and their family carers. We need to build better community and residential care facilities, better support systems, and decrease the stigma and social isolation that often comes with the disease.
‘Everyone, from government to industry providers and the general public, has a role to play in creating a community that can accommodate and support the rising number of people affected by the condition and the estimated 1.2 million people that care for them.’