Brisbane Aged Care Financial Supports Dementia Awareness Month
This September, Australia holds Dementia Awareness Month with several events lined up to educate the entire nation about dementia. We here at Aged Care bonds Brisbane Financial Advisers (BACFA) applaud Dementia Awareness Month – it’s a great initiative to increase awareness and inform clients and networks about what is dementia and its effects to people. We think it’s also important for creating a positive environment for people with dementia. Australia’s theme for this year’s Dementia Awareness Month is “Creating a Dementia-Friendly Nation.” This could never be timelier since as of today, more than 332,000 Australians are battling with the disease. It is also one of the single biggest causes of entry to aged care for senior Australians.
Contrary to what most people think, dementia is not just about forgetting or losing memory. There is a difference between memory loss as part of normal ageing and memory loss as a symptom of dementia. There are actually many types of dementia, but the most common are Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms may include confusion, personality change, apathy and withdrawal, and loss of ability to do everyday tasks. Am I at risk? There are some forms of dementia that can be inherited and passed on to the next generation. There is what we call Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD), which gives the child a 50% chance of inheriting it if any of his parents has FAD. Other rare forms of dementia like Huntington’s disease and Front Temporal Lobar Degeneration can be inherited too. If you think you are at risk, you can call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800-100-500. Read Accommodation Bonds Brisbane Younger Onset Dementia Dementia is not just for older people, it can also occur in your 50’s, 40’s, or even 30’s. Younger onset dementia or early onset dementia refers to dementia, which happens before anyone turns 65. For more information about younger onset dementia and how to fight this disease, click here. Creating a Dementia-Friendly Nation According to a research done by Alzheimer’s Australia’s:
50% of Australians think a person with dementia can’t have a meaningful conversation Also, 11.7% of the respondents said they would avoid spending time with a person who had dementia. This is disturbing. People who are dealing with dementia should be given proper care and support. And since everyone is at risk, isn’t it nice to create a community where people encourage and support one another? We need to build a nation where there is no place for hate and ridicule. People with dementia need to feel that they are loved and accepted no matter what.