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Prof. Graeme Samuel: I am Graeme Samuel, the Chair of Dementia Australia, and I'm pleased to announce Dementia Australia's strategic direction, outlining our priorities for the next five years. We represent the more than 436,000 Australians living with dementia, with that number expected to grow to almost 1.1 million people by 2058. It's our duty as the National Peak Body to use our strength and positioning to make the greatest difference. Over the past year, we asked two questions of people impacted by dementia, our staff, our partners, government bodies, healthcare professionals, and researchers. These questions were, what are the biggest issues for people living with dementia, their families and carers, and how can Dementia Australia have the biggest impact? There were three consistent answers, improving timely diagnosis and ongoing support, improving quality of care, and reducing discrimination. These three areas will be our priorities over the next five years as we design a new future where all people impacted by dementia receive the care and support they need. We asked some of our dementia advocates why these priorities were so important. Here's what they had to say.
[Text: Priority One: Timely diagnosis and support]
Dennis: I was a teacher in TAFE when in 2013, at age 59, I received my diagnosis from a leading neurological research institute. The consultant told me I had frontotemporal dementia, and had three to eight years to live, maybe up to 20, and then I should retire gracefully while I still could. I was happy at that stage. I had a diagnosis, an explanation of the symptoms I'd been experiencing for the past 18 months or so.
Dubhglas: The benefits of having an early diagnosis means that people can prepare for what might happen eventually. It means that if there are changes you can make to living the way you live and the way your lifestyle is, that that can make a benefit as well.
[Text: Priority Two: Quality of Care]
Danijela: Quality care is more than good symptoms, control, and emotional support. It's recognising and meeting the needs of the person living with dementia. It is about assisting residents to live well and maintain self-determination, relationships, and social connections. I believe that dependence on others increases. It is also about supporting the carer.
Trevor: I'm five years down the track with dementia, Lewy body dementia. Now, quality of care, I suppose, started when my neurologist recommended me to go and speak with Dementia Australia, people with a view to bringing me into the network and understanding what can be done.
Isabelle: We think that we need to redefine what we see as quality of life, whether that be managing risks, what we prevent residents from doing, wandering in the garden alone because they might fall. Well, does that result in them sitting inside all day doing nothing? We have to remember that we are not just keeping people well alive for as long as possible, but keeping them alive with a great quality of life, with rewarding experiences, enriching their lives as much as possible, and allowing them to do things for as long as possible. Things like feeding themselves, drinking a glass of water by yourself, standing up from the chair by yourself. Simple things like that that we forget when we take that away from somebody, we are really taking away a lot of their identity.
[Text: Priority Three: Reduce Discrimination]
Jenny: It is frustrating and demoralising when a person with dementia is treated as if they're not all there, or as if they're defective in some way. We've learnt through disability studies not to define others in terms of their disability, but to recognise the whole person, including their abilities. So, I'd ask you, when you encounter a person with dementia, whether it's early, middle, or late in the course of a condition, do remember that they are, foremost, an individual with a unique history, a family, and a lifetime of accomplishments.
Danijela: I was always guided by my mother's wishes, behaviour, needs. She carried her doll everywhere, and I encouraged that. If people in the street looked strangely at her, that didn't worry us. I can only say that acceptance of people no matter how they are, it's very important if we have to live in a friendly society.
Eileen: If there was more awareness and education about dementia, of what it's like to have a diagnosis of dementia, there would be less stigma associated with getting that diagnosis, and there would be more acceptance for those of us living with a diagnosis. My dream is how wonderful it would be if Australia became the first country to become dementia-friendly, as well as an inclusive country.
Maree: Hello, I'm Maree McCabe, CEO of Dementia Australia. You've just heard from our dementia advocates about some of the issues they face living with dementia. Our strategic priorities are ambitious, and they will make a real and lasting difference for people like our advocates featured in this video. Now is the time to use our unique position and strength to partner with aged and healthcare services, and the community to transform the experience of all people impacted by dementia. We know Dementia Australia can make the greatest difference through timely diagnosis and support, improving quality of care, and reducing discrimination.
It's up to us to work together in partnership with people impacted by dementia, our advocates, researchers, government, and other stakeholders to deliver on these priorities. I am so excited about the next five years and extending our reach, supporting more people impacted by dementia, and resolving some of the biggest challenges that they face. We are committed to the realisation of our strategy, and the profound difference this will make to all Australians impacted by dementia. I look forward to working with you. Thank you.
[Title card: Designing a new future. For a bigger, stronger, bolder Dementia Australia. Dementia.org.au/strategy 1800 100 500]
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