Dementia-Friendly Communities Action Plan released

Dementia Australia and Parliamentary Friends of Dementia have released an action plan with an aim to make New South Wales a more dementia-friendly state.

The Action Plan will harness the broad range of information, tools and supports provided by Dementia Australia, enabling New South Wales parliamentarians to advocate for dementia-friendly communities across their electorates and within parliament.

The Parliamentary Dementia-Friendly Communities Action Plan, developed in consultation with Dementia Australia Dementia Advocates and Dementia Alliances, will roll out over the next 18 months. The ongoing implementation of the Plan will ensure that the needs of people living with dementia, their families and carers remain top-of-mind across the New South Wales parliamentary community.

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM said, “The focus of the program has been on grass roots community advocacy, actions and activity to help drive awareness of the disease and to work towards reducing the stigma that is sadly still experienced by many people living with dementia.

“The support of the New South Wales parliamentary community is invaluable in advocating for people living with dementia, their families and carers. The Action Plan was developed in consultation with people living with dementia and their family carers, and I wish to thank all of those who assisted to create the Action Plan.”

Parliamentary Friends of Dementia Chair Anna Watson MP, Member for Shellharbour, said “With so many Australians now living with dementia, it is critical that all NSW Parliamentarians support the Action Plan and raise awareness about dementia in their own communities.”

Parliamentary Friends of Dementia Co-Chair Dr Michael Holland MP, Member for Bega, said “Governments need to help people with dementia or cognitive impairment as well as their carers to remain at home as long as they wish by supporting them at home and in the community. When the time comes to leave their usual place of residence, we need to deal with the anxiety and discomfort caused to them and their carers.”

The Action Plan is intended as a living document allowing for future opportunities and activities to be included over the course of the implementation.

Dementia Australia Dementia Advocate and Vice-Chair of the Dementia Australia Advisory Committee Dennis Frost, who is living with dementia, participated in the initial discussions at New South Wales Parliament in 2022. He said that he hopes the Action Plan will help achieve several important things:

“To raise community awareness about dementia and contribute to reducing the stigma associated with the disease, and to better inform government policies and legislation on the impacts, both negative and positive, on people living with dementia and contribute to making life better for us all.”

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