Research funding a further step towards improving quality of care of people impacted by dementia

Dementia Australia has welcomed the federal government’s announcement of $17.5 million to fund research into dementia and aged care.

The federal government’s announcement of a $311 million Medical Research Future Fund round will direct $17.5 million into desperately needed dementia and aged care projects that focus on improving diagnosis and support for people impacted by dementia.

Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe said investing in dementia and aged care research was crucial to improving the health outcomes for both current and future generations of Australians.

“Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians, with an estimated 459,000 Australians living with dementia in 2020,” Ms McCabe said.

“With the number of people living with dementia expected to increase to almost 1.1 million by 2058, research into dementia is now more urgent than ever.”

The 2020 Medical Research Future Fund grant opportunity targets large scale, interdisciplinary research into dementia and aged care in four streams including measures to assess dementia care at a local organisational level, interventions for holistic and multidisciplinary care, research to develop better diagnostic and prognostic tools for dementia and research into effective infection control practices in aged care settings.

“The research areas reflect the priorities people with dementia, their families and carers highlight all too often and represent another step forward in building the capacity of health and aged care services to deliver quality dementia care across Australia,” Ms McCabe said.

“We are hopeful these grants will make a difference in the field of dementia and ensure that research is translated into practical changes that will benefit people of all ages, living with all forms of dementia.”

Dementia Australia is the source of trusted information, education and services for the estimated half a million Australians living with dementia, and the almost 1.6 million people involved in their care. We advocate for positive change and support vital research. We are here to support people impacted by dementia, and to enable them to live as well as possible. No matter how you are impacted by dementia or who you are, we are here for you.

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