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Alzheimer’s WA discusses priorities and challenges in dementia care

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Dementia Now Leading Cause of Death in Australia

Alzheimer's WA outlines urgent priorities for early detection, support, and regional care

Dementia has become the leading cause of death in Australia, placing unprecedented pressure on health systems and families alike.

Alzheimer's WA, led by CEO Ella Dachs and chairman Professor Warren Harding, has identified key priorities to address the growing crisis: early detection, expanding support services, and meeting the unique needs of Western Australia's vast geography.

Priorities for Action

Ella Dachs, CEO of Alzheimer's WA, emphasised the critical need for timely, compassionate information and support services. The organisation's priorities include:

  • Strengthening person-centred services
  • Expanding respite care options
  • Enabling people to age in place with dignity

Professor Warren Harding, Chairman, noted the global shift toward earlier detection. While there remains no cure, Alzheimer's WA is collaborating on AI-enabled eye and pupil light response assessments. A study at Osborne Park Memory Clinic demonstrated over 90% correlation with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Early detection allows individuals to address 14 known lifestyle risk factors — offering a window of opportunity for intervention and prevention.

Western Australia: Unique Challenges, Innovative Solutions

Alzheimer's WA worked with the WA Government to create the first State Dementia Action Plan, announced in 2025. The plan focuses on:

  • Increasing public awareness
  • Improving care communication
  • Creating dementia-friendly hospital environments
  • Training acute care nurses

WA's vast distances and remote communities demand outreach and regional capacity-building. In response, the organisation recently opened an overnight respite cottage in the Great Southern Region.

The Scale of the Crisis

The numbers paint a stark picture:

  • 48,000 West Australians currently living with dementia
  • 200,000 carers providing support
  • A new diagnosis occurs every six minutes

Funding is stretched thin. Demand consistently outpaces available resources, and the Support at Home program has created operational challenges. Alzheimer's WA is calling for sustainable funding reform to meet growing needs.

"We need sustainable funding reform to ensure no one faces dementia alone."

Looking Ahead

Part Two of this series will explore:

  • Dementia rates in WA's growing population
  • Communicating change to those diagnosed and their carers
  • First steps after noticing memory issues
  • The importance of a well-informed public