Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to support this motion and comments made by previous speakers in this chamber in raising awareness of those living with dementia in our community and their carers. As many Australians would know, and the member for Newcastle stated in moving this motion, dementia is the greatest cause of disability in Australians aged 65 and over. Although most people with dementia are older, it is important to remember that not all older people get dementia; it is not a normal part of ageing. Dementia can happen to anybody—people in their 40s and 50s can also have dementia.

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe various conditions which damage brain cells and lead to a gradual loss of brain function. There are many different types of dementia, but Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are the most common forms. The symptoms of dementia worsen over time. How quickly dementia progresses depends entirely on the individual and each person will have their own unique experience with dementia.

Dementia is usually characterised by a gradual deterioration in memory and in the person's ability to carry out everyday activities, make decisions, understand information and express themselves. Dementia may also have an effect on a person's mood, personality and behaviour. There are almost 280,000 Australians living with dementia, and 1.2 million who will provide support and care. An estimated 1,600 new cases of dementia occur every week, as we have heard, and without a significant medical breakthrough this is expected to soar to almost one million by 2050.

Dementia is Australia's third leading cause of death after heart disease and stroke, and to date there is no cure. When in government, the coalition committed $320 million in the 2005 budget to help fund the dementia initiative, making dementia a national health priority. Despite this initiative proving of invaluable assistance to dementia sufferers, and a government evaluation of October 2009 finding the initiative successful, Labor have deliberately dropped funding for this program. I was pleased to see that at a recent meeting of health ministers this Labor government backed down on a disastrous decision and again named dementia as a national health priority area, as it was under the Howard government. I note that this designation is expected to enhance the development of a new National Framework for Action on Dementia, which will contribute to current and future work being undertaken to tackle dementia, including the national research effort. As always with these Labor government announcements the devil is in the detail, and sadly we are no wiser as to how important research into dementia and its effects will be funded.

My electorate of Ryan is home to the University of Queensland, and situated within its campus is an outstanding team of researchers based at the Queensland Brain Institute Centre for Ageing Dementia Research. The researchers at CADR aim to develop both novel pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical strategies to prevent or delay the onset of ageing dementia, as well as working to develop more sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools. The CADR is the only centre in Australia dedicated to age and dementia research.

The CADR was launched earlier this year, and I was fortunate to be given a tour a few months ago of its state-of-the-art facilities. The CADR is expected to grow to five independent research groups within the next three years to expand their groundbreaking work. This is critical research, and I certainly hope that this government recognises the benefits of this work for all Australians by allocating direct R&D funding to the CADR so that they can continue to expand their research areas and outcomes.

Dementia Awareness Week, which occurs this year from 21 September to 28 September, will play a significant role in promoting and advocating the needs of those living with dementia, their families and carers. I also acknowledge the ongoing contributions of Alzheimer's Australia in its outstanding advocacy and support for those affected by dementia. With no known cure for dementia, support is vital for people with dementia, and the help of families, friends and carers can make a positive difference to managing the condition. On 27 September, as part of Dementia Awareness Week, Alzheimer's Australia and the Queensland branch, in conjunction with the Queensland Brain Institute, is hosting a public seminar with Dr Serge Gauthier at the University of Queensland. Dr Gauthier will speak about a number of topics relating to dementia, including the possible causes of dementia and the prospects of new treatments. I would encourage everyone who is available to attend. I thank the member for Newcastle for raising this important issue in this parliament.

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