Dementia
Dementia is now the leading cause of disease burden for older Australians*. With an ageing and growing population, it is predicted that the number of Australians with dementia will more than double by 2058 to 849,300. However, it doesn’t just affect the person living with dementia – it also affects carers, friends and family.
Diagnosing dementia can be difficult due to the insiduous onset of the disease. Recognising the early signs can be challenging in a primary care setting, and patient denial of cognitive changes can further complicate the picture.
Yet, striving for an early diagnosis is important, and GPs can do this effectively with the right probing, investigations and cognitive testing.
Sydney North Health Network is offering the Dementia Quality Improvement Program to all General Practices in the region. The program provides support to participating practices to analyse current dementia care management and develop individualised plans to support implementation of evidence-based best practice care.
For more information or to express an interest to participate in the Dementia Quality Improvement Program, please complete this Expression of Interest form.
- Clinical Practice Guidelines- Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre
- Health Pathways Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
- 14 Essentials for Good Dementia Care in General Practice
- A Care Guide for General Practice
- Dementia and Driving
- Memory Problems: Information for people with Dementia and their carers
- Dementia, decision aids and general practice
- Early Dementia – Optimal Management in General Practice
- Dementia QI Guide
- Dementia QI PDSA Template (Excel Spreadsheet)
- MYMEDINFO
REFERRALS AND PATIENT SUPPORT
National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500. Free 24-hour telephone service providing information and advice to anyone concerned about cognition changes or who has received a diagnosis of dementia, and their family, friends and carers, and for Health Professionals that have patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The Helpline can provide emotional support and guidance, help to navigate services and programs and provide information and advice.
GPs can make a referral at any time. Request the GP Referrer Kit here
Dementia Support Australia Programs:
DBMAS (Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service): Phone/in-person consultation within 7 days, providing tailored advice and strategies to address challenging behaviours. For people with dementia living at home or in residential aged care.
SBRT (Severe Behaviour Response Team): In person consultation within 48 hours with tailored advice and strategies to address challenging behaviours that are severe in nature. For patients in residential aged care only.
GP Advice Service: tailored clinical advice from a medical specialist to help GPs to manage symptoms of BPSD.
Health Pathways Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Proveda Northern Sydney Dementia Advisory Service provides advice and assistance to people with dementia and their families and can link them with other people with dementia and their carers. Phone 1300 002 262.
Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service (NSHNS) provides community-based nursing care to people at home and in clinic environments
Rapid Response Aged Care Teams home-visiting services for patients at risk of needing hospital. They assess and treat older people experiencing a new decline in health and work closely with Ambulance. Urgent referrals will be home visited within 1-24 hours and non-urgent referrals will be seen within 1 week. Available: Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm.
Lower North Shore and Ryde/Hunters Hill Aged Care Rapid Response Team –ARRT.
Hornsby/Kuringai Geriatric Rapid Acute Care Evaluation –GRACE.
Sydney North Health Network, the Improvement Foundation and a local expert reference panel collaborated to develop quality indicators to support improvement in dementia care in general practice nationally, including detection, timely diagnosis and management.
The Dementia Quality Improvement Program (DQIP) commenced in Feb 2018. The program provides support to participating practices to analyse current dementia care management utilising the specified indicators. Practices are participating in small group workshops and peer support programs to develop individualised improvement plans to support implementation of evidence-based best practice care.
For more information or to express an interest in any of these opportunities, please complete this Expression of Interest form.
The Northern Sydney Dementia Collaborative was established in 2014, with assistance from the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation’s “Building Partnerships” program, which aimed to form alliances that work together to integrate care for older people with complex health needs. Nowhere is this more needed than in people with dementia. There are a range of services available in Northern Sydney for people with dementia and their carers. However, information about these services and how to access them is not well understood by the people who need them the most or by health professionals. It is estimated that over 12,000 people in Northern Sydney are living with dementia and this figure will continue to grow as the population ages.
National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500. Free 24-hour telephone service providing information and advice to anyone concerned about cognition changes or who has received a diagnosis of dementia, and their family, friends and carers, and for Health Professionals that have patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The Helpline can provide emotional support and guidance, help to navigate services and programs and provide information and advice.
DBMAS (Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service): Phone/in-person consultation within 7 days, providing tailored advice and strategies to address challenging behaviours. For people with dementia living at home or in residential aged care.
Proveda Northern Sydney Dementia Advisory Service provides advice and assistance to people with dementia and their families and can link them with other people with dementia and their carers. Phone 1300 002 262.
Memory Problems Brochure Northern Sydney – Information for people with dementia and their carers
Northern Sydney Carer Support information, guidance, and support that is practical and local to help carers find the right services for their needs
Carers Australia Phone 1800 242636.
Local Dementia-friendly Councils and Communities
Dementia-friendly cafes and support groups promote social inclusivity for those living with dementia, as well as their friends, relatives and carers. Those who live with dementia can often feel isolated and lonely so these spaces have been created to encourage people with shared experiences to meet.
Get in touch with your council or local Dementia Alliance to access a number of local resources for older people and those living with dementia and their carers.