Community still believes dementia is a normal part of aging, says global study

Eighty per cent of the general public incorrectly believe that dementia is a normal part of ageing, according to a new global study by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI).

As the number of people living with dementia continues to grow, this misconception has been identified in the wider community and also in healthcare. With dementia the number one cause of death for Australian women, ensuring a more accurate understanding of the disease is crucial.

At a time when we are seeing breakthroughs in both the treatment and diagnostic technologies available for those with dementia, ADI chief Paola Barbarino said community awareness is crucial to early diagnosis and better patient outcomes.

“This inaccurate view of dementia is a major concern, particularly from healthcare professionals, as it can delay diagnosis and access to the right treatment, care, and support,” said Ms Barbarino.

“We need our healthcare professionals to more readily understand that dementia is a medical condition caused by a set of diseases, Alzheimer’s being the most prevalent, so that a correct diagnosis can be given, opening the door for a combination of treatments, care, and support that can enable people to live well for longer, to remain at work, at home, and in the community.”

65 per cent of health and care professionals incorrectly believe dementia is a normal part of ageing, up from 62 per cent in 2019

Key finding, World Alzheimer Report 2024

Associate Professor Darshini Ayton, deputy head of the Monash University Health and Social Care Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) emerging leader fellow, agreed.

“We are in an era of biomedical advancement in dementia diagnosis and potential therapeutics. To ensure society is ready for these exciting innovations we need to ensure that people in the community understand the symptoms of dementia, for example it is not just memory loss, and how to access testing and assessment through general practice and specialist care," Associate Professor Ayton said.

“We also need to listen to people who have experienced the process of navigating the health system for a dementia diagnosis either as a patient or a caregiver, and their ideas of what needs to change to create a more accessible and equitable system.”

She also notes that listening to, including and embracing those with lived experience may be our best chance at fostering meaningful community awareness.

31 per cent of people living with dementia avoid social situations due to concerns regarding the reactions of others and 47 percent of carers stopped accepting invites to visit family and friends

Key finding, World Alzheimer Report 2024

Dementia Australia chief Professor Tanya Buchanan points out that social connection plays an important role in the maintenance of cognitive function, with a number of studies showing that social isolation and loneliness is associated with an increased chance of cognitive decline or dementia.

“Australian and international studies show that stigma and discrimination associated with a dementia diagnosis can discourage people from seeking health care, including a diagnosis, and reduce social engagement with family, friends and the broader community, which has knock-on impacts on the physical, cognitive and psychosocial health of the person with dementia,” Professor Buchanan said.

“It is incredibly disappointing that Australians’ understanding of dementia has not shifted in a decade, and profoundly concerning that more people now think dementia is a normal part of ageing than they did a decade ago. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing.

“We know that we can do better as there are great examples of dementia-friendly communities from around the country."

88 per cent of people living with dementia indicate experiencing discrimination, up from 83 per cent in 2019

Key finding, World Alzheimer Report 2024

Emily Ong, was finally diagnosed with dementia at the age of 51, after first being told that her symptoms were from a rare neurodegenerative disease (fatal familial insomnia), then a psychiatric illness.

“Ageism is rampant ... [Health professionals] assume that if you are under the age of 65, there is no way that you can be having issues with cognitive impairment. They just don’t take you seriously," she said.

She suggests there needs to be increased dementia-specific training for health professionals.

“I’ve had to prove things and repeatedly request support before any action was taken,” she said.

“The most concerning part of this is how it could lead to delayed, wrong, or missed diagnosis."

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