A total of $210,000 has been awarded in grants across 20 organisations to make their services and community more dementia-friendly and deliver local, tailored change appropriate to their communities.
Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said the grants have the capacity to significantly and positively impact people living with dementia, their families and carers.
“There are an estimated 447,000 Australians living with dementia today, with an estimated 70 per cent of people living in the community, in their own homes,” Ms McCabe said.
“As the prevalence of dementia rises, so too does the need for more dementia-friendly communities across Australia.
“One of the biggest issues people face following a diagnosis of dementia is social isolation, as friends, family and their community may struggle to understand how to best support and continue to include people living with this progressive and debilitating condition.
“The way we respond, communicate and interact with a person with dementia has an enormous impact on their day-to-day life and we can all do more to make sure people living with dementia remain included and accepted in their own community.
“That’s why Dementia Australia is championing Dementia Friends and dementia-friendly communities across our nation. This is a national program that aims to transform the way our nation thinks, acts and talks about dementia.
“The first round of grants has delivered a wide range of positive activities such as a sensory walking trail in Ballarat, a dementia café in Noosa, and more accessible public transport in Western Sydney. This second round of grants should enable even more communities to get on-board and make communities more accessible and inclusive for people living with dementia.”
Each of the grant recipients will be guided by feedback from local people living with dementia.
A total of $210,000 has been awarded in grants in this round, as part of the Dementia Friendly Communities program which is funded by the Commonwealth Government.
