Deadly dementia rates to double in 30 years, care plans needed sooner

There are more than 421,000 people of all ages living with dementia in Australia, and without a medical breakthrough, this number is expected to increase by 93 per cent to more than 812,500 by 2054.

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and the leading cause of death for women.

Monica Sharma Khakural, care team manager at BaptistCare Kintyre Lodge, said during the four years she has worked at the Dubbo home, she has noticed dementia case numbers grow.

"I not only hear that but see the number of patients we are having on the current wait list who are expecting to be our new home owners, more are having somebody with cognitive decline," Ms Sharma Khakural told the Daily Liberal.

"It could be the starting phase when they're not able to manage themselves, or it could be another cognitive decline, an impairment to start with."

Dementia is a range of disorders affecting the brain - characterised by memory loss, cognitive decline and a range of other signs and symtoms - including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, lewy body disease and frontotemporal dementia.

"I have seen it increasing," Ms Sharma Khakural said of the cases checking in to her facility.

Ms Sharma Khakural said the aged care system would need to change to cater for the number of people who would need dementia care in the future, which as the condition develops becomes a higher level of care.

"I'm pretty sure everyone in medical sectors are preparing for that phase now," she said.

BaptistCare Kintyre Lodge has four wings, one of which is the memory wing, just for dementia residents.

Ms Sharma Khakural said awareness about dementia, what it is, and what it means for the person diagnosed with it and their family, was just as important as raising funds to find a cure.

She said she hoped in the future, families would have enough awareness about the condition to look into care options sooner in their loved one's journey rather than later on, which is currently the case with most residents.

"I have noticed [residents] come to you when they're definitely not able to manage at home and assisted by the family, and it's a hardship of the family, and they're suffering and the parents are at risk of hurting themselves and not getting enough care," Ms Sharma Khakural said.

She said leaving it until later in the journey, "when there's a lot of difficulty managing" the loved on with dementia, "it becomes harder for the family and the resident themselves" to adjust to life in the home.

"If I were the one going in, when I'm OK and I've identified I've got this illness, I would rather choose a nice home where I know I am taken care of and what decisions I can take care of myself," Ms Sharma Khakural said.

The CEO of Dementia Australia, Mary McCabe, has thanked the Dubbo community for coming out for the first time to support dementia research through the 2024 Memory Walk and Jog.

More than 110 people walked, ran and jogged at Lion's Park on Sunday, February 11, raising $12,000 to support people with the disease.

"There was an outstanding show of support from the Dubbo community who turned out in such large numbers for the first time," Ms McCabe said.

"So many people impacted by dementia find these events a great way to connect with others in similar circumstances. It is such an important day and your support means the world."

Dementia Australia is asking Dubbo residents who couldn't attend the recent walking fundraiser at Lion's Park to make their own event to help raise $2 million for research into dementia.

You can register your own group and host a MyWay event. More details can be found at www.memorywalk.com.au/get-involved/mw

Caring for someone who is dying with dementia can be a confusing and stressful experience, even apart from the natural grief and sadness of the circumstances.

Most of us know little about the practical side of dying, and that can be exacerbated in rural and regional areas by lower levels of palliative care support, according to HammondCare.

The organisation is hosting a free end-of-life workshop for carers of people with dementia, called Last Days Dementia, on March 26.

For bookings and information, go to hammond.com.au/lastdays