New Dementia Centre to be Funded

An aging population and an increase in the numbers of those suffering from dementia are behind a new Federal Government initiative to support people with the disease.

 Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek and Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler said researchers, policy makers and healthcare workers will work in partnership under the $5 million a year scheme.

 The funding - provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Alzheimer’s Australia, Brightwater Care Group, HammondCare Group and Helping Hand Aged Care for the new Partnership Centre - will continue for five years, under the theme of ‘Dealing with Cognitive and Related Functional Decline in the Elderly’.

Dementia is the third leading cause of death in the elderly, after heart disease and stroke.

"The Gillard Labor Government is working hard to improve the health and quality of life for our older Australians.  One of the key ways we can achieve these goals is by supporting research-informed change of our healthcare system that will expand our knowledge of diseases that affect older Australians, particularly dementia,” Plibersek said.

The government warned that unless inroads were made in dementia support and care, the health system would become "overwhelmed" due to an aging population.

"To improve clinical interventions, social care and community support for dementia and related functional decline, we need to support better collaboration between those working in the health system and researchers.  This is exactly what the new Partnership Centre will do,” said Butler.

“The Partnership Centre will draw on multiple professions and disciplines such as health services and public health policy research, sociology, economics, psychology and clinical practise expertise."