Report reveals those at greater risk of dementia
A new Alzheimer’s Australia report, released yesterday, reveals the prevalence of dementia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities.
A new Alzheimer's Australia report has revealed the prevalence of dementia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The report, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Dementia: A review of the research, discusses a range of policy and service implications of the growing number of ATSI people with dementia and is based on research conducted in Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales.
Graeme Samuel, Alzheimer's Australia national president, calls for action to ensure that ATSI people living with dementia and their family members are receiving culturally appropriate services and supports now and into the future.
“Incorporating dementia into pre-existing health strategies as well as widely disseminating Alzheimer’s Australia’s Your Story Matters resources will help raise awareness of the modifiable risk factors of dementia and assist in the timely diagnosis of the condition,” Mr Samuel claims.
“Training packages targeting dementia awareness, including the use of culturally appropriate cognitive screening tools, should be promoted to mainstream health professionals and ATSI health workers to support access to timely diagnosis,” he adds.
Fred Tanner, chair of Alzheimer’s Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee, says simple solutions may help to reduce a looming epidemic affecting ATSI Australians.
“The number of ATSI people aged 55 years and over is projected to increase over the next 20 years which means if we don’t act now, we will see an increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people diagnosed with dementia,” Mr Tanner says.
Download a full copy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Dementia: A review of the research report.
