Dementia main cause of disease burden for older Australians

Dementia has overtaken coronary heart disease as the leading cause of disease burden, injury and premature death among Australians aged 65 and older.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released its updated Dementia in Australia report today, which estimated people collectively lost nearly 230,000 years of healthy life to dementia in 2020.

This marked a 61 per cent increase in overall impact since 2011, the report said.

"Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that gradually impair brain function that may impact memory, speech, cognition (thought), personality, behaviour," AIHW spokesperson Melanie Dunford said.

"It is an increasing cause of disease burden in Australia, largely due to our ageing population but also from declines in burden from other leading causes, such as coronary heart disease."

Nearly 401,300 people in Australia had dementia in 2022, a 4 per cent increase from the year before, the AIHW estimated.

This figure is expected to more than double by 2058.

Head of professional services at Dementia Support Australia Marie Alford said the rising numbers of dementia was significantly impacting carers, families, the health system and residential aged care homes.

“At some stage, most of us will be affected by dementia, either ourselves or because of someone we love,” Alford said.

"With two-in-three people living with dementia in the community, there were up to 354,200 unpaid carers last year, often working 60 or more hours a week.

“It’s important that we provide options for respite for these carers and provide them with
necessary skills to continue to provide care at home."

In 2019–20, over 54 per cent of people in residential aged care were living with dementia, according to the AIHW.

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