Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to second the motion moved by the member for Newcastle. I am delighted to acknowledge the contribution that she has made to this issue. I have also worked with her on the parliamentary friendship group on dementia, which she chairs.

As the motion states, dementia is the greatest cause of disability in older Australians aged 65 and over. According to statistics provided by Alzheimer's Australia, almost 280,000 Australians currently live with dementia. Without a significant medical breakthrough, that is expected to soar to almost one million people by 2050. Each week there are 1,600 new cases of dementia in Australia, and that is expected to grow to 7,400 new diagnoses each week by 2050. Dementia is the third leading cause of death in Australia after heart disease and stroke. The total estimated worldwide cost of dementia is US$604 billion in 2010, and this cost accounts for about one per cent of the world's gross domestic product. Australia faces a shortage of more than 150,000 paid and unpaid carers for people with dementia by 2029. The cost of replacing all family carers with paid carers is estimated to be $5.5 billion per annum.

Dementia is one of the forgotten diseases in our society. We almost accept it, to the extent that it is one of those things that is part of life. It is time, however, that we started to treat dementia as a core health issue in this nation from both a research and prevention point of view and a reactive or carer aspect. Most of us tend to think of Alzheimer's disease when we think of dementia. However, there are actually many types of dementia. The effects of different types of dementia are similar but not identical, as each one tends to affect different parts of the brain, and there are more than 100 diseases that cause dementia. Alzheimer's disease, however, is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 50 and 70 per cent of all dementias.

As we know, Alzheimer's disease is a physical disease which attacks the brain, resulting in impaired memory, thinking and behaviour. The observation of a loved one suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease can be truly tragic. To see someone's mind deteriorate to the point of not being able to remember or comprehend those that they love is heartbreaking, and to see sufferers not being able to remember a lifetime of experiences with their families is absolutely devastating.

The other side to this terrible disease is the level of care that is required for sufferers of dementia. This is particularly hard on family members who spend their days caring for dementia sufferers. As I mentioned before, Australia is going to have a huge shortage of carers, particularly when we go into the future, and if we allocated a cost to family care it would exceed $5 billion.

This motion recognises Dementia Awareness Week, which runs from 21 to 28 September. It raises awareness in promoting and advocating for the needs of those living with dementia, their families and their carers. I want to acknowledge the great work that is being done by Alzheimer's Australia, Glenn Rees and all of his team there and particularly acknowledge Ita Buttrose as President of Alzheimer's Australia for the key role that they all play in advocating for a new funding model for the research of this disease so that one day we will be able to truly find a cure.

I know that the designation of dementia as the ninth national health priority is very, very pleasing to Alzheimer's Australia. They have been working on this campaign for many, many years. I know that the work of the member for Newcastle in starting this parliamentary friendship group has certainly advocated for and put this disease higher on the priority list than it has been in the past, and I want to thank her. I have enjoyed working with her. I know that we have a very long way to go. In the past much of the work that has been done on dementia has clearly been focused on the care of dementia patients, and not in the research aspect of it, so it will be very pleasing to know that there is going to be much more funding for research to ensure that we find the answer to unlocking one of the most devastating illnesses that affects so many sufferers and their families in Australia.

It is an important week. I look forward to the guest speakers who will be coming along in a few days to talk to us. I want to acknowledge again that it is a pleasure to rise and support this very worthy cause. I will continue to advocate for more funding for research, and particularly, for the care of dementia patients in the electorate of Brisbane and I look forward to seeing a cure one day that will make a real impact on the lives of so many people who suffer from this devastating illness.

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