Dementia now Australia’s leading cause of death

Australians are dying from dementia much than immoderate different disease, arsenic advocates warn the fig of radical with the illness could transcend 1 cardinal without authorities intervention.

Dementia accounted for astir 17,400 deaths successful 2023, equivalent to astir 1 successful 10 of each deaths, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

It is the starring origin for women and 2nd to bosom illness for men.

More than 425,000 Australians were estimated to beryllium surviving with dementia successful 2024, equivalent to 16 radical successful each 1000.

But the complaint rises rapidly from 1 successful 1000 for radical aged 30 to 59 to 210 per 1000 successful Australians aged 85 to 89.

By 2065, astir 1.1 cardinal radical are predicted to person dementia, a 2.5-fold increase.

“While 2065 whitethorn look acold distant (40 years), these clip frames are applicable to the aboriginal and mid-life prevention measures that tin alteration the hazard of processing dementia successful aboriginal years,” the AIHW study states.

After noticing her hubby had go distant from her and their kids, a 42-year-old mother-of-two questioned their full marriage.

One time helium couldn’t find words astatine all.

They went to spot a neurologist and the woman’s hubby was diagnosed with younger onset frontotemporal dementia, which affects a person’s behaviour and moods.

One of the hardest moments was telling their 10 and seven-year-old astir their father’s condition.

“Their small hearts broke. I’ll ne'er hide it. It was devastating,” she said.

Life present is simply a juggling act, with the woman handling the full household and kids arsenic well arsenic caring for her husband, but she stayed true to her wedding vows.

“In sickness oregon health, for amended oregon worse … I want (our children) to spot that when you emotion someone you look aft them,” she said.

The study revealed the tremendous interaction dementia had connected families, Dementia Australia main enforcement Tanya Buchanan said.

“People affected by dementia often tell us that friends and household drift distant aft a diagnosis, due to the fact that they are unsure of however to interact,” she said.

Ahead of Dementia Action Week, Professor Buchanan said the national authorities indispensable perpetrate to backing a nationalist speech to rise consciousness and beforehand encephalon wellness astatine each ages.

“By taking a broad approach, we tin trim the interaction of dementia into the future,” she said.

“We simply cannot spend to wait.”

Australia spent astir $3.7 cardinal connected dementia diagnosis, treatment and attraction successful 2020/21, with residential aged attraction services accounting for astir fractional of that.

Advocate Lil Mirtl, who lives with dementia, said it was a community-wide work and there was nary clip to consciousness uncomfortable oregon awkward astir these conversations.

Dementia was the 2nd starring origin of illness load successful 2024.

Obesity, smoking, excessive intoxicant consumption, caput injury, precocious humor pressure, untreated proceeding and vision loss, slump and diabetes accrued the hazard of processing dementia.

Protective factors see precocious levels of education, carnal and cognitive enactment and κοινωνικά engagement.

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This Sunday, Fronditha Care will contiguous ‘An Open Discussion connected Dementia‘ successful Oakleigh.

The lawsuit will bring together medical, ineligible and aged-care professionals to stock applicable insights connected however families tin navigate this hard journey.

Date: Sunday, 14 September 2025

Time: 11.30am – 1.30pm

Place: Conference Room, Oakleigh Grammar

Entry: Free – reserve your summons here.