In 2021, there are an estimated 472,000 Australians living with dementia. Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to almost 1.1 million by 2058.
A Dementia diagnosis can be overwhelming, not only for the individual but also for loved ones and care givers. It is estimated that almost 1.6 million people in Australia are currently involved in the care of someone living with dementia and approximately 70% of people with dementia are still living within the community.
Often times this comes with feelings of isolation and loneliness, as behaviour can be unpredictable. Families may fear leaving the house in case they are met with judgement or lack of understanding from members of the community. In 2018 NoosaCare’s DementiaLiving team put a call out to the Noosa community to create a Dementia Friendly Community Advisory Board to address this pressing community issue. From this, NoosaCare’s Dementia Friendly Community Advisory Board was born and comprised of people living with dementia, their loved ones, medical professionals, volunteers and several community leaders. The advisory Board was our way to meet the needs of people living with dementia within the community and to become a part of the dementia friendly movement across Australia. The first project was to create a Dementia Friendly Memory Support Pack which provides vital information for people newly diagnosed with dementia and for their families. It includes a handy checklist and a comprehensive list of local and national contact points to help people with their dementia journey. The Memory Support Pack is available for free download on our website.
Over the last few years the Dementia Advisory Board has evolved into our Dementia Café. We have been featured on ABC Radio and TV both locally and Australia wide. NoosaCare’s Dementia café exists for members of the community to connect with others who are travelling a similar road. The Dementia Café provides an enjoyable and informative opportunity to relax for a short time and talk with others who will understand the journey. It is a safe space to chat with other people, exchange information and experiences and have some fun over a cuppa in a supportive and friendly environment. Attendees are encouraged to take the opportunity to meet and talk to as many of the other group members as they are comfortable with. It has created a platform where ongoing friendships can form outside of the fortnightly meetings. With ongoing support from our local community we hope to grow the café even further to provide a valuable space to those living with Dementia.
