Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the motion on dementia moved by the member for Newcastle and thank her not only for bringing it forward but for the great work she does with the Parliamentary Friends of Dementia. This motion outlines that there are almost 280,000 Australians living with dementia and 1.2 million people who provide support and care and that dementia is the greatest cause of disability in Australians aged 65 and over. What is dementia? It is described as a collection of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain. It is a significant chronic disease and is the third leading cause of death in Australia after heart disease and stroke. It affects thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Brain function is affected enough to interfere with a person's normal social or working life. Eventually, dementia leaves a person unable to carry out everyday activities as a consequence of diminished cognitive ability. Today, one in four people over the age of 85 has dementia and around 52 per cent of all aged-care recipients have some form of dementia.

This Friday, 21 September, is World Alzheimer's Day and also marks the beginning of Dementia Awareness Week. It is therefore timely for us to recognise that where fighting dementia is concerned there is always more work to be done. Individuals suffering from dementia and their family and friends deserve our recognition and support. I have to thank the member for Newcastle because it was an event she was at in 2009 that got me talking about the issue, and it was a hard issue to talk about. But it is important to talk about Alzheimer's and the effect it has and that unfortunately it does not discriminate in relation to age: at that Alzheimer's event I indicated that my mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 56, and she has since passed away. We need to provide support, we need to invest in research and we need to keep the work going. We need support to help loved ones to stay at home and continue to integrate with their community where possible and support within hospital and aged-care facilities where that is the necessary next step. We need to provide better support and training for health professionals and we need to assist them in dealing with the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

As I said, if you think dementia is only related to ageing then think again. In 2012 there are approximately 16,000 people who have younger onset dementia, which I spoke about in parliament on 23 May 2011, and the number of people with dementia is expected to rise to a million by 2050. These numbers provide a challenge to families all over Australia every day. Our government is committed to taking up the challenge to help. The designation of dementia as the ninth national health priority area will enhance the development of the new National Framework for Action on Dementia, contributing to current and future work being undertaken to tackle dementia, including the national research effort.

I am proud to say the Gillard government's Living Longer, Living Better aged-care reform package, announced on 20 April, commits $268.4 million in funding over five years to tackle dementia. This funding will help to support our seniors from when they first approach their GP with the early signs of dementia through to when they need a very high level of aged care. The government's Living Longer, Living Better reforms consist of improving diagnosis of dementia and allowing greater opportunity for early medical and social interventions; expanding the scope of dementia behaviour management advisory services; additional assistance for people at home and in aged-care homes; and more funding to provide better care for people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Up to 50 per cent of all patients in hospitals have cognitive impairment. Many of these people may not be identified as having dementia and therefore do not receive the appropriate care. In fact, for many people it can take more than three years from the time they first notice symptoms to when they receive a diagnosis of dementia. Let us recognise the great work of our local providers. Let us recognise the great work of Alzheimer's Australia, whose Queensland branch recently attended my aged-care forums. I look forward to continuing work with them. I want to recognise the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing for the inquiry that they are conducting on early intervention for dementia, and I want to tell everyone that during Dementia Awareness Week they can find out information. The number is 1800100500. They should seek support for themselves and their loved ones.

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