NEARLY three quarters of Aussies are in the dark about dementia.
That's according to Alzheimer's Australia which is urging Australians to find out more about the fatal condition during this month's Dementia Awareness Month.
According to the national not-for-profit organisation people with dementia report that their experience is often isolating.
Alzheimer's Australia says studies show a high level of stigma towards people living with the condition with more than 70 per cent of Australians admitting they know very little about dementia and almost half of the population not realising the condition is fatal.
As part of Dementia Awareness Month the charity is hosting a public lecture series given by international guest speaker Steven Sabat called 'Forget Memory Loss - what about the person?'
Professor Sabat is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Georgetown University in America. For the past 35 years, he has studied the cognitive and social abilities of people with Alzheimer's disease in the moderate to severe stages.
His writing includes the forthcoming book Alzheimer's disease and Dementia: What Everyone Needs to Know and The Experience of Alzheimer's disease: Life through a Tangled Veil.
He will be speaking in Brisbane on September 11 at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney's Art Galley of NSW on September 13 and in Melbourne at ZINC in Federation Square on September 14.
Professor Sabat will also be speaking at an invitation-only event at Parliament House in Canberra.
The talks are part of a program of events being held by Alzheimer's Australia throughout Dementia Awareness Month.
Alzheimer's Australia will host a number of events as part of Dementia Awareness Month. For a list of what's happening near you visit www.fightdementia.org.au/dementia-awareness-month
- National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500
Dementia facts
- There are more than 413,106 Australians living with dementia
- Of those living with dementia 55 per cent are female
- By 2025 the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to 536,164
- Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to reach 1,100,890 by 2056
- Currently around 244 people each day are joining the population with dementia. The number of new cases of dementia will increase to 318 people per day by 2025 and over 650 people per day by 2056
- Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians
- Projections suggest that by 2025 some 255,800 carers will be needed in the community and 122,100 carers working in the cared accommodation sector
- These numbers are expected to double by 2056 to around 525,540 carers in the community and 250,420 paid carers in residential aged care
*Figures from Alzheimer's Australia
