Tailored support for younger people with dementia

Adults as young as 30 are being diagnosed with early-onset dementia, research from Alzheimer’s Australia shows.

The condition commonly associated with ageing currently effects around 24,700 Australians under the age of 65.

For Western Australian aged care group Amana Living, these statistics have prompted an entire reconsideration of the ways in which support is delivered to people living with dementia.

With such vast age ratios of residents under dementia-specific care, Amana Living have sought ways to engage the younger end of the spectrum, as they have done with older groups.

Amana Living CEO Ray Glickman said the circumstances of younger people living with dementia are often quite different from those of older people.

“For a start, people in their 40s will want to listen to very different music from our clients in their 80s,” Mr Glickman said.

Amana Living manager of Dementia and Restorative Services Louise Hancock said that while dementia generally follows a similar progression, there are some vital differences in the needs of people with early-onset dementia.

“While loss of mobility and continence do occur as the disease develops, in the early stages the person will still be relatively active,” Ms Hancock said.

“They are unlikely to suffer from debilitating conditions associated with age, such as arthritis or glaucoma, yet their mental functioning, especially memory, is impaired.”

When the Amana Living Bull Creek Lefroy Day Club began noticing an influx of younger attendees, they tailored support services to suit their new members.

With a host of staff skilled in the provision of dementia care, the club rolled out a new program that enables younger people with dementia to engage in the activities they did before their diagnosis.

Program staff look at the needs and aims of each individual to develop and deliver meaningful activities.

For one ex-runner, this meant teeing up visits to the local sports centre where he was able to keep up his passion of running in the accompaniment of a fit, young trainer.

The Lefroy Day Centre also aims help the carers, families and partners of people with dementia, who are often young themselves, and underprepared for the financial, practical and emotional strain the condition has had on their life.

The new, extended McCusker Nurse Service is based at Lefroy in Perth’s south, offering free support and advice to the carers and families of people with dementia.

“We aim to support the families as much as the people living with dementia, and this needs careful thought and individualised services,” Mr Glickman said.

For more information on Amana Living Bull Creek, Lefroy Day Club, please call 08 9334 7417.