Government Urged to Fund Dementia Prevention Program

Alzheimer's Australia is lobbying Government to extend the funding for its dementia prevention program Your Brain Matters.
In its budget submission, the organisation has outlined an additional three key priority areas for the Federal Government to factor into the 2015/16 Federal Budget including: investing in dementia-specific services, investing in a national program to tackle the stigma and social isolation associated with dementia, and providing increased investment in dementia research.
It is estimated that dementia costs the health and aged care systems $4.9 billion per year and it is  predicted there will be nearly 900,000 Australians living with the condition by 2050.
Your Brain Matters is the world's first publicly-funded dementia prevention program and its outcomes have attracted international recognition.
 Alzheimer’s Australia CEO, Carol Bennett, said the program has made considerable inroads in educating Australians, but there is much work to be done with many Australians still unaware of the simple lifestyle changes that could reduce a person’s risk of dementia in later life.
“The increasing prevalence of dementia gives the Government an economic imperative to build on the success to date of the Your Brain Matters program through continued support beyond June 2015, when the current funding is set to end,” Ms Bennett said.