Dec 18, 2012 - Media Release. Younger Onset ... Alzheimer's Australia NSW is the charity for people with dementia and th
Tuesday 18 December 2012
Media Release Younger Onset Dementia report released today New research commissioned by the NSW State Government has outlined the enormous differences in the needs of people with younger onset dementia, compared with those with dementia over the age of 65. The report, Service and Support Requirements of People with Younger Onset Dementia and their Families, released today by the NSW Minister for Ageing and Disability Services, The Hon. Andrew Constance MP, looks at the specialist needs and support needed for people with dementia aged 65 years and younger and for Aboriginal people aged 50 years and younger who have dementia. The CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, The Hon. John Watkins, said the report will help service providers with developing more targeted and relevant services for people with younger onset dementia. “People with younger onset dementia often face very different challenges and have very different needs to those that develop dementia over the age of 65,” Mr Watkins said. “Those diagnosed are often still working, caring for dependent children and many are planning for a retirement they will never get to experience. “It is important that the different needs of people with younger onset dementia are recognised and that service providers work to meet those needs. “We congratulate the State Government for commissioning such important research.” It is estimated that in NSW there are approximately 8,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia. Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) engaged Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, which partnered with the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at the UNSW and UnitingCare Ageing, to conduct the research into the kinds of support needed by people with younger onset dementia and their families in NSW. The SPRC’s Associate Professor Karen Fisher said people with younger onset dementia need easy access to information that is relevant to their life stage. “Families need to make immediate adjustments after diagnosis to secure their wellbeing,” Associate Professor Fisher said. “Imagine if tomorrow you found out you had this degenerative condition and couldn’t continue to work, provide care and participate in family life.
“Coordinating information and support through organisations like Alzheimer’s Australia was a relief to those people who had found that resources were scarce.” A full copy of the report, Service and Support Requirements of People with Younger Onset Dementia and their Families, is available here http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0010/262396/YOD_Report_WEB_2012.pdf Alzheimer’s Australia NSW is the charity for people with dementia and their families and carers. As the peak body, it provides advocacy, support services, education and information. More than 300,000 people have dementia in Australia. This number is projected to double by 2030. National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500 An interpreter service is available (The National Dementia Helpline is an Australian Government Initiative)
-endsMedia enquiries Sarah Price, General Manager - Media Ph: (02) 8875 4635, Mobile: 0403 072 140
www.fightdementia.org.au
