Dementia Australia today acknowledged all women impacted by dementia for International Women's Day.
Maree McCabe CEO Dementia Australia said today is an opportunity to honour the lifelong contribution of women of all ages, living with all forms of dementia and the many women involved in their care.
"International Women's Day serves as a poignant reminder of the reality that dementia is the leading cause of death of Australian women," Ms McCabe said.
"It is essential to understand the significant impact of dementia on women.
"We know that more women are diagnosed with dementia and we know that more women are involved as their carers.
"We would like Australian women to know that support is available for them and a great start is to call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500."
In a 2014 Women and Dementia A Global Research Review by Alzheimer's Disease International some key findings were:
• More women live with dementia than men; women are more at risk of developing dementia and the symptoms they live with are more severe.
• Women provide a substantial proportion of informal care to people with dementia, with around two thirds of primary caregivers overall being women.
• The effects of being a caregiver, on health and wellbeing as well as the financial impact is therefore likely to be greater for women.
• The formal care workforce is predominantly female, particularly in dementia care, providing the majority of health and social care in the community as well as in hospitals and care homes.
"For these reasons, planning to improve the health and lifestyle outcomes of all women impacted by dementia must be a priority for the health and aged care industries, a Federal election priority and an ongoing budget priority," Ms McCabe said.
Dementia Australia is the national peak body and charity for people, of all ages, living with all forms of dementia, their families and carers. It provides advocacy, support services, education and information. An estimated 436,000 people have dementia in Australia. This number is projected to reach almost 1.1 million by 2058. Dementia Australia is the new voice of Alzheimer's Australia. Dementia Australia's services are supported by the Australian Government.
National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500 Interpreter service available (The National Dementia Helpline is an Australian Government Initiative) Dementia is a National Health Priority Area www.dementia.org.au
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