Have Your Say to Make Dementia a 2016 Election Priority

Alzheimer's Australia needs your help in making the National Dementia Strategy a priority in the 2016 Australian Election.

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia, and there is no cure.

There are currently more than 353,800 Australians living with dementia, and approximately 25,100 people in Australia with Younger Onset Dementia - a diagnosis of dementia under the age of 65.

An estimated 1.2 million people are involved in the care of a person with dementia and without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is estimated to hit almost 900,000 by 2050.1

These figures mark the enormous importance of the ongoing battle with dementia in Australia.

With the 2016 federal election currently slated for 2 July 2016, the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) has put together an Election 2016: Tell us what matters to you survey that will be used to inform the ABC’s election coverage and provide attention to issues that are relevant to the lives of Australians.

It is now more important than ever that dementia features on the National agenda and forms part of the election discussion in 2016.

Alzheimer’s Australia is doing what it can to ensure that dementia is at the forefront of the Australian government's focus, but they need your voice as well.

They have provided a submission to the Federal Treasurer to inform the 2016-17 Federal Budget to implement a comprehensive and nationally funded strategy to build on existing areas of success and develop a collaborative and cost effective response to dementia across Australia.

This submission involved the priorities identified by you the consumers, and reflected the changes that the consumers wanted to see put into action.

At the 2016 Alzheimer’s Australia National Consumer Summit, consumers unanimously called for the funded National Dementia Strategy to meet measurable outcomes that built on the National Framework for Action on Dementia 2015 - 2019. These outcomes and priorities will address:

1. Develop culturally appropriate dementia support that responds to the needs of people from diverse backgrounds including culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the homeless, people living alone, people with younger onset dementia and the LGBTI community
2. Promote risk reduction
3. Tackle the stigma and discrimination associated with dementia and support social inclusion and participation
4. Improve access to timely diagnosis and high-quality health care
5. Provide care and support in the community that facilitates independence, social engagement and effective support for informal carers
6. Ensure access to high-quality residential care and publicly available information about consumer experience and quality of care
7. Improve end of life care and support for people with dementia
8. Sustained investment in dementia research
9. Implement consumer directed care that leads to real choices and better outcomes for people with dementia and their families
10. Develop a strategy to better support carers of people with dementia3

Investment in these priorities has the potential to reduce the costs of dementia to the health and aged care system, which is currently projected to cost $83 billion by 2060 if this does not become a focus of the Australian government.

Alzheimer’s Australia urges voters to turn attention to dementia as an election issue.

To have your say on why the government needs dementia to be a priority, please fill in the survey on the ABC website.

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