Cooking dinner in aluminium pots will not cause dementia but many people still hold to this mistaken belief, according to a new national survey.
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Dementia is not a normal part of ageing but a recent national dementia survey released April 24 by the Australian Health and Welfare Institute (AIHW) has suggested many people do not understand the disease or know how to prevent it.
This is the case despite the predicted rates of the disease in Tasmania set to "skyrocket", with more than 26,000 diagnosis' predicted across the state's ageing population over the next 17 years.
Currently, one in 10 Australians aged 35 and 3 in 10 Australians aged over 80 have the disease.
AIHW dementia data improvement head Melanie Dunford said despite the prevalence of dementia as a health and aged care concern in Australia, the community had poor understanding of what can be done to reduce the risk of dementia.
"When people have little knowledge it tends to correlate with greater stigma, which can lead to delays in people seeking help and whether they share diagnosis with others," she said.
Its recent survey revealed one in five people mistakenly believe that it is a normal part of ageing.
It also found that many people still believe that dementia can be caused by protein-rich diets, cooking in aluminium pots and using artificial sweeteners.
Menzies' Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (Wicking Centre) Professor Andrew Robinson has said that work is being undertaken to prepare for the skyrocketing increase of disease.
"Dementia is now the fastest growing and largest cost in the residential aged care system and is the condition that causes the biggest burden due to disability in Australia."
AIHW: Top known ways to reduce the risk of dementia
- Keeping physically active
- Learning new things
- Socialising
- Avoiding head injury
AIHW: Lesser known ways to reduce the risk of dementia
- Cutting back on alcohol
- Eating a Mediterranean diet
- Not smoking
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol
- Managing blood sugar levels
Ms Dunford said that a majority of people who knew that lifestyle changes could reduce their risk would adopt those changes.
"Australians who knew more about dementia tended to take more actions that can reduce their dementia risk."