Let young dementia patients into aged care, says Dementia Australia
The Federal Government should give patients with younger-onset dementia the option of entering aged care, says peak body Dementia Australia.
A 2020 government plan set a goal of nobody under 65 living in residential care, except certain patients aged 50-64 who were Aboriginal or at risk of homelessness.
However, amid sweeping aged care reforms, Dementia Australia wants access for people under 65 with dementia in special circumstances, especially when they lack National Disability Insurance Scheme funding.
Dementia Australia’s general policy was that residential aged care was inappropriate for younger patients, the group’s general manager of policy and advocacy, Kylie Miskovski​, told AusDoc.
“But if there are not suitable options in the disability sector for people with younger-onset dementia, we think there should be the option for them to access residential aged care if they need full-time care and support that cannot be provided in their home,” she said.
About 29,000 Australians had younger-onset dementia, Ms Miskovski said, including patients in their 30s.
“Getting a diagnosis of dementia at that age presents unique social, financial and support challenges for the patient, as well as for their family,” she said.
“They are often still raising children and still in the workforce.”
Dementia Australia’s submission to the Federal Government’s aged care reforms said specialist dementia care was only funded for aged care patients, with no equivalent services in the disability sector.
“We hear anecdotal reports of people with younger-onset dementia essentially getting stuck in hospitals because their family and their carer can no longer support them at home,” Ms Miskovski said​.
“They cannot get into disability accommodation or the residential aged care system.
“People are falling through a gap, particularly if they have got more complex symptoms of dementia.”
The Federal Government is still finalising the rules for its new Aged Care Act, including potential access for younger patients, ahead of the Act’s 1 November start date.
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