Minister for Ageing David Davis today launched the Victorian Dementia Action Plan 2014-18 at the opening of Alzheimer’s Australia Vic’s (AAV) first permanent regional office in Bendigo.
Mr Davis said there are about 74,600 people with dementia living in Victoria and the positive news is rates of people with dementia do not appear to be increasing.
“The Victorian Dementia Action Plan (VDAP) promotes the health and wellbeing of Victorians, aims to minimise the risk of getting dementia, and supports the ongoing independence, health and wellbeing of those who do have dementia,” Mr Davis said.
“The action plan seeks to meet the very diverse needs of our population by delivering support and services to people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. “It also seeks to support the partners, families, friends, neighbours, work colleagues and others who support people with dementia each day.
“The VDAP has references to Seniors Count! Victoria’s Seniors Participation Action Plan, 2014-2019 which heralds a shift in how we think about ageing and sets a new course for ageing well in Victoria.
“We know that programs and services, and whole communities, need to be able to support people with dementia and their carers so we’re expanding the support available in the Loddon Mallee region with a new AAV office in Bendigo,” Mr Davis said.
The new Bendigo AAV office is part of a major expansion of a vital support service for people with dementia across regional and rural Victoria.
“The Bendigo AAV office will become a major hub for the Loddon Mallee region, in addition to the AAV office at Mildura,” Mr Davis said.
“This new office will provide information, support, counselling and education services to people in the region living with dementia and their families and carers.
“People and organisations can get advice about memory concerns, information, counselling support, educational programs, and help to navigate the service system,” Mr Davis said.
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