$2.2m grant for dementia research in WA

The WA government has approved a $2.2 million grant for the Alzheimer’s Australia WA organisation to develop a new Centre of Excellence in Dementia Care in Western Australia.

The funding will allow the organisation to create a state-of-the-art purpose-built research and care facility in partnership with Curtin University at its Bentley campus.

Alzheimer’s Australia WA chairman, Craig Masarei, said the new Centre of Excellence in Dementia Care would be able to provide better training opportunities for people involved in dementia-specialist services such as nurses, occupational and speech therapists and social workers.

“This world-class centre for dementia research, education and training will improve the standards of care we provide to people with dementia living in our state,” Mr Masarei said.

There are about 19,000 people diagnosed with dementia in WA and this figure is expected to rise to more than 79,000 by the year 2050.