Act now for a dementia-friendly future

DURING this year’s Dementia Action Week (September 18-24) we encouraged people to learn more about the signs and symptoms of the condition and how to make their communities more accessible to people living with dementia. There are estimated to be more than 400,000 Australians living with dementia and more than 1.5 million involved in their care - and those numbers are set to rise. As dementia diagnoses increase, it’s important to learn more about the signs and symptoms and how to make our communities more accessible to people living with dementia. That’s why this year’s theme for Dementia Action Week was “Act Now for a Dementia-Friendly Future.” Many people can continue to live well with dementia, but it’s important they feel supported in their community. Greater awareness helps to create discussion and break down stigma or barriers that could stop people from seeking help. Increasing our understanding of dementia can make a big difference to the lives of people around us who are impacted. There are things we can all do to make our communities more dementia-friendly. To find out how you can make a difference, please visit dementia.org.au. Maree McCabe CEO Dementia Australia