National Summit on Young Onset Dementia
Did you know that younger onset dementia affects over 28,000 Australians? While many challenges are shared with older people living with dementia, younger individuals face unique hurdles such as managing work, mortgages and raising children, and more.
We were honoured to attend the inaugural National Summit on Younger Onset Dementia in Melbourne. It was an incredible opportunity to meet key stakeholders, policymakers, and politicians, represent our users living with younger onset dementia, share insights, and advocate for practical solutions to support their daily lives.
My Dementia Companion is uniquely positioned to support people living with younger onset dementia and their carers, who often embrace technology and are proactive in empowering themselves with knowledge to navigate their journey.
National Carers Roundtable
We recently participated in the National Carers Roundtable, where it was evident that carers are struggling in the early stages of cognitive impairment, often even before a diagnosis is made.
The stories we heard were raw, heartfelt, and full of love—sharing struggles, frustrations, and hope. It was an honour to offer suggestions, make connections, and contribute ideas to improve support for carers.
We were deeply moved by the validation from carers who expressed feeling overwhelmed and lost on their caregiving journey. Many shared how solutions like My Dementia Companion could provide the practical tips, resources, and guidance they desperately need during those challenging early stages.
Website improvement
Thanks to valuable user feedback, our website has been revamped to better serve our customers.
Now, information is tailored based on your role—whether you're a professional seeking to refer a client to the CARER tool, a provider looking for more hands-on support with the PRO tool, or a carer wanting guidance for your journey.
Thank you to our incredible customers and advisors for helping us make My Dementia Companion easier to use.
Improved HCP Processes for Home Care Providers
As we continue working with aged care providers to onboard clients on Home Care Packages, we’ve refined our step-by-step guide for starting clients and their carers on the CARER tool.
This includes an easy-to-follow interactive guide, along with quick shortcuts for frequently used items like flyers, templates, and more.
Content update
New section on ‘Remembering’: Tips on using aids, equipment, or assistive technology effectively to achieve their intended outcomes.
New section on managing ‘Keys and Dementia’: Strategies to manage keys while maintaining independence as cognition declines.
New section on ‘Ways to Make Banking and Paying Bills Easier’: Advice on staying safe and independent when managing finances.
Improved links to HCP Inclusions/Exclusions document: Easier access for PRO users.
Updated resources: Topics include palliative care needs, working with police when someone goes missing, notifying VicRoads after a diagnosis, and more.
It’s also great to see that Alzheimer’s WA’s Enabling Environment portal is back online.
Please refresh your browser to see the updates and you can find them by searching for relevant keywords.
Featured tip
Driving remains a hot topic for people living with dementia and their carers. Driving assessments, particularly for those outside metro areas, can be challenging. This month’s Featured Tip from Ros offers insight into her mother’s experience and a surprising alternative solution.
““Once the diagnosis of dementia was made my mother's GP notified VicRoads. My mother then got a letter advising that she had to get an OT on road driving assessment within 2 months. She could have given up her licence but she is keen to be tested. Living in a rural area it hasn't been easy to arrange the assessment. You need an OT and a driving instructor to come to your town. This will cost a lot of money due to the travel involved. You can go and be tested in a larger regional centre at a smaller fee but then the person would be driving in unfamiliar territory and it would make it harder to pass the test. The assessment is also done in the driving instructors car not your own car.
My thoughts, please just plan ahead for this. There are few steps and costs involved.
Eventually, mum failed and gave in her keys without a fuss. Then she was lucky to be given an electric scooter after the assessment. We will keep an eye on that, but hope she's ok with it.”
Don’t forget to review the Topic “Driving, transport and dementia” for more strategies and suggestions on managing this emotional and potentially complex part of one's journey. As always, carer Tips are just experiences, not advice and don’t apply to everyone.
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