Labor has promised $25 million to fund a number of dementia initiatives, including $6 million “create dementia friendly communities” if it wins next month’s election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tasmanian Labor Senator Helen Polley said the money was needed to increase funding in dementia research and care, given close to one million Australians are expected to be diagnosed with the condition by 2050.
About 350,000 Australians currently live with dementia.
The funding also includes $10 million to trial dementia respite models, $5 million to establish a national strategy, $3 million to implement the Dementia Friends program and $1 million to develop a resource hub.
The national strategy requires buy-in from all states and territories, something Senator Polley said she was confident Labor would receive.
Council of the Ageing Tasmania CEO Sue Leitch said she was particularly excited to see promises to fund the Dementia Friends program and create dementia friendly communities.
“These programs certainly align with the philosophy COTA embraces,” Mrs Leitch said.
“We do need investment in this area given the natural progression towards more Australians being diagnosed with dementia.”
Alzheimer’s Tasmania CEO Tony Reidy said creating dementia friendly communities would allow for the “better integration of dementia sufferers into the wider community”.
“It would go some way towards achieving our objective of making all of Australia become more dementia friendly,” he said.