AUSTRALIA | Dementia Australia has led the call for a national conversation on dementia and brain health to raise community awareness of dementia.
Speaking at a Parliamentary Friends of Dementia event at Parliament House in Canberra, Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said that there is still no cure for dementia and, coupled with poor community understanding, there is an urgent need for a national conversation to raise awareness of the condition and to educate Australians on risk factors for developing dementia.
The call for a national conversation on dementia and brain health was echoed by a panel of expert speakers, including acclaimed actor, writer, creator and producer of the new ABC program Plum Brendan Cowell, who discussed why brain health is important across the life course, the importance of protecting our brains from injury, and the ways that people can live fulfilled lives when they experience a diagnosis of cognitive impairment.
“Dementia Australia’s research clearly shows that there has been a sustained and profoundly concerning lack of awareness and understanding about dementia in the community – with many Australians mistakenly believing dementia is a normal part of ageing,” Professor Buchanan said.
“The lack of knowledge and understanding has substantial negative impacts on people living with dementia, their families and carers. Low awareness contributes to discrimination, stigma and isolation. Poor understanding creates barriers to timely diagnosis and to accessing ongoing medical and social care.”
At the Parliamentary Friends of Dementia event, Brendan Cowell said brain health must be prioritised in the same way we treat other health conditions.
“When other parts of our body are unwell or aching, we treat it immediately. With the brain, we often ignore signs or think we’ll deal with it later – when in reality, we need to look after it as immediately as we would an aching tooth,” Cowell said.
Dementia Australia Advisory Committee Chair Bobby Redman, who lives with dementia, said there is great work happening in some communities to combat discrimination and stigma – but we need to do more.
“Raising awareness of dementia and educating people about what they can do to reduce their risk of dementia is of paramount importance for all Australians,” Redman said.
“This call for a national dementia and brain health campaign is all the more crucial following the release of the 2024 update of the Lancet Commission on the prevention, treatment, and care of dementia, which reports that there are fourteen modifiable risk factors which, if addressed effectively, could reduce dementia incidence by up to 45 percent worldwide,” Professor Buchanan said.
She added that many of these risk factors are common to other chronic conditions and so a national dementia and brain health campaign would bring added benefit for a range of chronic conditions.
“As dementia edges closer to becoming the leading cause of death of Australians, it is crucial that we act now to focus on the brain health of the nation as well as provide more targeted, effective support to those impacted by dementia. Taking this dual approach will ensure we are working towards reducing the impact of dementia.”
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