SA dementia-friendly action plan to roll out

An action plan will be implemented in South Australia that will see the state become more dementia-friendly.

The Parliamentary Dementia-Friendly Communities Action Plan commenced at a roundtable meeting at the Parliament of South Australia in 2023 and is the second plan currently in place, with the NSW Action Plan launched last year.

The Action Plan for South Australia was developed in consultation with Dementia Australia dementia advocates and the Parliamentary Friends of Dementia Co-Convenors and has now been finalised, with implementation to roll out over the next two years.

The comprehensive Action Plan details how South Australian MPs can lead in making their electorates more dementia-friendly. The ongoing implementation of the plan will ensure that the needs of people living with dementia, their families and their carers remain top of mind across the parliamentary community of South Australia.

In 2024 it is estimated there are around 34,170 people living with all forms of dementia in South Australia and this figure is projected to increase to around 55,600 by 2054.

The Action Plan will harness the broad range of information, tools and supports provided by Dementia Australia, empowering the co-convenors and their parliamentary colleagues to advocate for dementia-friendly communities across their electorates and within parliament.

Dementia Australia General Manager Policy and Advocacy Kylie Miskovski said the Action Plan for South Australia marks a significant new chapter for the Dementia-Friendly Communities program in the state, which has been raising awareness and fostering support for people living with dementia for almost a decade.

“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 co-convenors and the South Australian parliamentary community is invaluable in advocating for people living with dementia, their families and carers and I wish to thank all of those who assisted to create the Action Plan for South Australia,” Miskovski said.

Parliamentary Friends of Dementia Co-Convenor Erin Thompson MP, Member for Davenport, said:

“Almost everyone has been touched by dementia in some way, whether they are affected personally or know a loved one who has experienced this awful illness.

“I look forward to the Action Plan for South Australia being rolled out in the community so we can assist those living with dementia, but also their families and carers, who do an amazing job.”

The Action Plan is intended as a living document, allowing for future opportunities and activities to be included over the course of the implementation. Some key deliverables from the Dementia-Friendly Communities Action Plan for South Australia include:

• Members of Parliament and their staff are encouraged to become a Dementia Friend.
• Parliamentarians are uniquely placed as a key interface with their communities and are encouraged to use Dementia-Friendly Communities resources — key messages, videos, presentations when delivering local community speeches and attending events.

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