Dementia Australia has launched a free interactive video guide, The Dementia-Friendly Home, to support people with dementia to live independently in their home.
Two in three people with dementia live in the community1, so supporting and enabling them to make their home environments as safe, engaging and accessible as possible is vital.
The interactive video guide offers practical tips to make homes more dementia-friendly, enabling people living with dementia to stay in a familiar environment and continue their regular lifestyle activities for longer.
Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said the video guide would support people living with dementia, their families and carers to remain independent for as long as possible.
“For the more than 433,300 Australians living with dementia, everyday activities can get harder,” Professor Buchanan said.
“This guide can help, with practical tips such as clearing walkways or using contrasting colours when setting the table.
“The Dementia-Friendly Home supports independence, dignity and safety for people living with dementia, their families and carers.”
Dementia Australia Advocate Joe Coppi cares for his wife Joyce, who is living with dementia, and found that making small, dementia-friendly changes in their home had made a real difference.
“Making our home as safe and comfortable as possible was important after Joyce received a dementia diagnosis,” Mr Coppi said.
“We now have labels on cupboards and a motion-activated light that turns on when Joyce gets up from the bed at nighttime.”
For more information and to access the video guide, visit dementia.org.au/living-dementia/home-life/dementia-friendly-home or contact innovation@dementia.org.au with any enquiries.
Dementia Australia also offers personalised consulting for organisations and businesses to help create dementia-enabling environments to support people living with dementia. For more information visit dementia.org.au/professionals/professional-development-and-training/environmental-audits-dementia-enabling or contact development@dementia.org.au.
The Dementia-Friendly Home was developed by Dementia Australia and generously supported by the Arcare Family Foundation.
Arcare Family Foundation said they are proud to be supporting initiatives that help this growing community need and Dementia Australia's progress in this area.
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- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2022) Dementia in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government
Dementia Australia is the source of trusted information, education and services for the estimated more than 433,000 Australians living with dementia, and the more than 1.7 million people involved in their care. We advocate for positive change and support vital research. We are here to support people impacted by dementia, and to enable them to live as well as possible. No matter how you are impacted by dementia or who you are, we are here for you.
For support, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. An interpreter service is available. The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government. People looking for information can also visit dementia.org.au
Media contacts: Catherine McCarthy, Media and Communications Advisor catherine.mccarthy@dementia.org.au 0466 796 201
When talking or writing about dementia please refer to Dementia-Friendly Language Guidelines.
Note to Editors:
We request, where possible, details for the National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500 appear alongside news stories about dementia, as these stories often prompt questions or concerns:
If this story has prompted any questions or concerns, please call the National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500 (24 hours, 7 days a week) or visit dementia.org.au.
