Dementia is proving one of the biggest challenges facing the aged care sector.

Dementia is a term used to describe illness of the brain that affects cognition, memory, thinking, behaviours and the ability to perform everyday activities. The most common types are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal lobe dementia.

The number of people living with dementia is increasing rapidly with about half of those entering aged care now diagnosed with the disease. Most people with dementia still live in their own home and increasingly when they choose to move into residential aged care, the disease is advanced and their needs are specialised.

In early 2026, it is estimated that 446,500 people in Australia are living with dementia, with this figure set to double in the next 25 years. Dementia is the leading cause of death for Australians. Approximately 16 in every 1,000 people are living with dementia, noting the rate increases with age, affecting nearly 1 in 10 people over 65 and over 3 in 10 people over 85. More women are living with dementia making up two-thirds of all cases, and more than 1.7 million Australians are involved in the care of someone living with dementia including paid staff and families.

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing and research shows that adopting a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of developing dementia. Strategies include regular physical activity, balanced diet, managing chronic health conditions, prevention of hearing loss, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking and remaining socially engaged.

To address the extent of the challenge, Uniting AgeWell is progressively implementing an organisation-wide response detailed in its Dementia Framework and Action Plan, which was developed in partnership with esteemed mental health expert Professor Allan Woodward, released in May 2021 and updated in 2026 to reflect new national dementia plans and guidelines.

Holistic in its approach, it is applicable to all the ways Uniting AgeWell supports people with dementia – in the community, in people’s homes and in our residential care facilities. Underpinning the framework is Uniting AgeWell’s commitment to excellence in dementia care.

Uniting AgeWell’s objectives for dementia care

• Quality of life – to maximise a person’s quality of life through quality person-centred care
• Dignity and rights – to uphold a person’s privacy, choice and individual expression and create safe and comfortable environments to minimise distress
• Meaningful activity – to provide opportunity for family and social interaction and to match activity with the person’s maximum capacity
• Evidence-based practice – to know of and adopt best practice in dementia care and train and support staff at all levels to provide this
• Communication – to ensure respectful and dementia-appropriate communication and maintain collaborative care plans with the person and their families/carers
• Accountability – to systematically monitor care outcomes and provide support in managing behavioural symptoms and minimise environmental and chemical restraint

The Dementia Framework has six key strategies

1. Models of dementia care
2. Environments, facilities and residential care homes
3. Behavioural and psychological symptoms relief
4. Workforce
5. Partnerships
6. Governance and continuous improvement

Actions to date

A Dementia Working Group, which includes representatives from both Home Care and Residential Care, is working through an action plan developed to meet the six strategies and aligning with national guidance on dementia.

Actions to date have included

• Dementia Policy and Practice Standard embedded in practice and annual reviews conducted.
• The Dementia Clinical Pathway for Home Care and Residential Care that focuses on person-centred dementia care and meaningful engagement.
• Aligning with the Uniting AgeWell Palliative care framework recognising the terminal nature of dementia ensuring the adoption of comfort, dignity, support, pain management and compassion is elevated in care.
• An education framework including dementia mandatory training and advanced education that aligns with the National Dementia Education Training and Standards Framework.
• Uniting AgeWell’s online Dementia Learning Hub to build workforce capability by providing access to current education.
• Environmental audits of Memory Support Units by Dementia Australia in both Tasmania and Victoria, with suggested environmental improvements implemented; and the inclusion of environmental audits as part of continuous improvement using the latest tools for Uniting AgeWell Community Hubs and residential aged care sites.
• Training for staff across all 21 residential aged care sites and all Community Hubs with the latest evidence-based Dementia Australia Virtual Reality De-Escalation Workshop.
• Dementia Support Australia engagement to provide additional advice to manage behavioural changes for people living with dementia and improved care outcomes.
• Ongoing partnerships with dementia organisations that are advancing improvements in dementia awareness and care, to access resources and advice and exchange information about service provision and emerging issues related to care.
• Promotion to increase awareness of dementia related illnesses, early recognition and support for families and carers and the provision of resources and information to customers.
• Customers are provided with information and contact details of the Dementia Helpline to access additional support.