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The full review includes the latest information on how dementia is affecting Australians and what the future may hold for them.
One in 12 Australians aged 65 and over lives with dementia.
Dementia remains the second leading cause of death in Australia, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The Dementia in Australia 2021 report estimates that 386,200 Australians are living with some form of dementia, and that number could more than double to 849,300 by 2058.
AIHW’s dementia unit chief Dr Fleur de Crespigny said the prediction is based on the AIHW estimate – which is in the lower end of the 386,200-472 range. 000 – with a recent study predicting that more than one million Australians will have dementia by 2056.
‘[Dementia] poses a substantial health, elderly care and societal challenge, and with Australia’s population aging rapidly, this is expected to become an even greater challenge in the future, â€she said.
“Dementia was responsible for around 14,700 deaths in 2019 – or 9.5% of all deaths that year.
“It was the second leading cause of death in Australia, behind coronary heart disease and it was the leading cause of death in women [around 9,200 deaths in 2019]. ‘
The report, launched at an online event by Federal Minister for Aging Australians and Elderly Care Services Senator Richard Colbeck, provides the latest statistics on the health impacts of the population, caregivers and the elderly. care needs, use of health and eldercare services and direct dementia-related expenses.
It found that one in 12 Australians aged 65 and over lives with dementia, a rate that jumps to two in 5 Australians aged 90 and over.
Almost two-thirds of Australians with dementia are women, while the rate of dementia among Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders is estimated to be 3-5 times higher than the overall rate for Australians.
Although there is no known cure for dementia, Dr Terence Chong, psychiatrist and senior researcher at the University of Melbourne, previously said gp news “About†40% of the risk of dementia is modifiable.
In addition, more than 623,300 prescriptions were issued for dementia-specific drugs in 2019-2020, to help around 64,600 Australians aged 30 and over manage their symptoms.
The majority (65%) of people with dementia live in the community, but many need the care and help of family and friends to do so, according to the report.
By 2021, up to 337,200 Australians would provide constant unpaid care for someone with dementia, with more than half of all primary caregivers providing an average of 60 hours or more of unpaid care each week.
People born in non-English speaking countries and living in the community with dementia appear to be more likely to rely solely on friends and family for care, with less than half having access to other services. In contrast, only 30% of people with dementia born in English-speaking countries and living in the community depended solely on the care of family and friends.
The AIHW also says that many community members with advanced stages of dementia still depend on the care and support provided by residential care facilities for the elderly (RACF), and that more than half of people living in permanent residential care for the elderly suffering from dementia.
“In 2018-2019, $ 3 billion in health and senior care spending was directly attributable to dementia,” said Dr de Crespigny.
“This included $ 1.7 billion in residential care services for the elderly, $ 596 million in community care services for the elderly and $ 383 million in hospital services.
“Although dementia is often considered a disease of the elderly, it is also estimated that over 27,800 Australians under the age of 65 are living with dementia at a younger age.”
In 2019-2020, one-third of people under 65 living in permanent elderly care facilities had younger-onset dementia.
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