When caregivers become overwhelmed, people enter residential care sooner than necessary.
Dementia has quietly become Australia's leading cause of death, and Western Australia's health leaders are calling it what it is: a civilisational challenge that no family, system, or government can afford to meet alone. With more than 100 million people affected globally and that number set to double by 2050, the disease demands not only medical innovation but a rethinking of how communities care for their most vulnerable. Alzheimer's WA's Professor Warren Harding and CEO Ella Dachs are urging early diagnosis, caregiver support, and coordinated investment as the most immediate acts of collective compassion available to us now.
- Dementia is now Australia's leading killer, yet diagnoses routinely arrive too late — after the windows for meaningful intervention have already closed.
- Caregivers are quietly breaking under the weight of daily care, and when they collapse, the people they support move into residential facilities far sooner than anyone intended.
- Alzheimer's WA is running a helpline, respite houses across four WA locations, and family education programs to hold the line while systemic solutions catch up.
- Blood biomarkers, monoclonal antibodies, AI-assisted assessments, and a WA company testing pupil light response offer genuine but incremental hope — not a cure, but a direction.
- Leaders are calling for government alignment across urban planning, housing, and community design so that people can age with dignity in the neighbourhoods they have always called home.
Dementia has become Australia's leading killer, and the numbers behind that fact are almost too large to hold: more than 100 million people affected worldwide today, a figure expected to double by 2050, and an annual economic toll of $2.8 trillion. But Professor Warren Harding and CEO Ella Dachs of Alzheimer's WA are less interested in the statistics than in what they demand of us — early action, honest conversation, and a care system built around people rather than institutions.
The most urgent message is about timing. Too many diagnoses arrive after the best opportunities for intervention have passed. The path forward, Dachs explains, begins with a GP visit for cognitive assessment and, where needed, specialist referral. Alzheimer's WA's helpline — 1300 66 77 88 — connects families with trained staff who can reduce anxiety and help build person-centred care plans. Respite houses in Shenton Park, Woodvale, Mandurah, and Albany offer families the breathing room they need to keep going.
Harding draws attention to a truth that often goes unspoken: when caregivers are overwhelmed, their own health deteriorates, and the people they care for end up in residential facilities sooner than necessary. Supporting spouses, adult children, and professional carers is not a secondary priority — it is the mechanism by which people remain in their communities. Alzheimer's WA's Family and Friends education programs are designed precisely for this: teaching carers to understand the disease while protecting themselves in the process.
On the research horizon, there is cautious optimism. Blood biomarkers, monoclonal antibodies, advances in genomics around the APOE gene, and local innovations like Foresight Medical Solutions' pupil light response testing all point toward earlier detection. AI-supported assessments and wearable safety tools are also emerging. Harding is careful, though — progress is real but incremental, and the focus must remain on quality of life for those living with dementia right now.
Both leaders are calling for something larger than any single service can provide: a united response from governments, communities, and health systems, shaped around urban planning, dignified housing, and the simple human desire to grow old in a place that still feels like home. Models like Hogewyck in the Netherlands show it is possible. What is needed in Western Australia, they argue, is the will to build it here.
Dementia has become Australia's leading killer, and Western Australia's health leaders are sounding an urgent alarm about what comes next. The numbers are staggering: globally, more than 100 million people live with dementia today, a figure expected to double by 2050. The economic toll alone reaches $2.8 trillion annually. Yet the crisis extends far beyond statistics. It touches families, overwhelms caregivers, and strains systems that were never built to handle this scale of need.
Professor Warren Harding, chairman of Alzheimer's WA and head of research and partnerships, and CEO Ella Dachs are clear about one thing: dementia is not a natural part of aging, and it is not a disease that only affects the elderly. What it requires is broad public understanding and coordinated government action at every level. Without immediate investment in early detection, workforce development, prevention, and community-based care, the social and economic consequences will be devastating.
The first line of defense is simple but often missed: early diagnosis. When someone suspects memory problems, the path forward begins with a GP appointment for cognitive assessment and specialist referral if needed. Dachs emphasizes that too many diagnoses come too late, after crucial windows for intervention have closed. Alzheimer's WA operates a helpline—1300 66 77 88—where trained staff can reduce anxiety, provide tailored advice, and help families develop person-centered care plans. The organization also runs respite houses in Shenton Park, Woodvale, Mandurah, and Albany, offering families breathing room and professional support.
But diagnosis is only the beginning. Harding points to a truth that often gets overlooked: when caregivers become overwhelmed, their own health declines, and people move into residential care sooner than necessary. Supporting the people who provide daily care—spouses, adult children, professional carers—is not a secondary concern. It is central to keeping people in their communities and homes for as long as possible. Family and Friends education programs run by Alzheimer's WA teach carers how to understand the disease and protect their own wellbeing in the process.
On the research front, there is cautious optimism. Blood biomarkers, monoclonal antibodies, and advances in genomics—particularly around the APOE gene—offer promise. Harding is tracking global trials in early detection and innovative care models. Locally, Foresight Medical Solutions, a Western Australian company, is exploring early detection using eye pupil light response. Other emerging tools include eye-tracking technology, AI-supported assessments, wearables for client safety, and geographic mapping. Yet Harding is careful not to oversell: progress is incremental, not revolutionary.
While research continues, Dachs insists the focus must remain on quality of life now. That means symptom management, emotional support, and practical care for people and families living with dementia today. Communication sits at the heart of everything Alzheimer's WA does—dementia-language guides, webinars, community education sessions, and culturally tailored outreach, all backed by experienced staff who listen with empathy. Services are co-designed with people who have lived experience, ensuring they are practical and genuinely useful.
Harding calls for alignment across all tiers of government around urban planning, community design, better housing, and funding that enables people to age in place with dignity and identity—in the neighborhoods where they have lived, where their children work, and where grandchildren go to school. He points to progressive examples like Hogewyck, outside Amsterdam, where Compassionate Communities approaches are being trialed successfully.
The message from both leaders is clear: dementia touches so many lives in Western Australia—not only those diagnosed but their families and the many carers who give so much. No one faces this alone. Reaching out for help is not weakness; it is the first step toward change. What is needed now is a united response from governments, communities, health services, and supporters, working together to ensure compassionate, timely, and dignified care both today and into the future.
Notable Quotes
Dementia is not a normal part of aging and it is not just an older person's disease. We need broad community understanding and strong government leadership to match the scale of impact.— Ella Dachs, CEO of Alzheimer's WA
When carers become overwhelmed, health declines and people enter residential care sooner than necessary. Supporting carers is central to sustaining care in the community.— Professor Warren Harding, Alzheimer's WA chairman
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
When you say dementia is not a normal part of aging, what do you mean? Don't most people get a bit forgetful as they get older?
There's a real difference between normal cognitive aging and dementia. Everyone's memory changes with age, but dementia is a disease—a progressive one. The distinction matters because it changes how we respond. If we treat it as inevitable, we don't seek diagnosis early. If we recognize it as a disease, we can intervene.
You mentioned that late diagnosis limits intervention options. What specifically becomes unavailable if someone waits?
The window for certain treatments narrows. Blood biomarkers and monoclonal antibodies work better when caught early. But beyond medicine, late diagnosis means families haven't had time to plan financially, legally, or emotionally. They're in crisis mode instead of preparation mode.
The caregiver piece seems to be where the real pressure sits.
Absolutely. A caregiver's health decline is often the trigger that moves someone into residential care. We can have the best medical interventions in the world, but if the person providing daily care burns out, the whole system collapses. That's why supporting carers isn't secondary—it's foundational.
You mentioned Hogewyck in Amsterdam. What makes that model different?
It's about designing entire communities around the reality of dementia rather than trying to fit dementia into existing systems. People live in neighborhoods that feel normal, with shops and gardens and routines, but with trained staff embedded throughout. It's aging in place, but with dignity and purpose built in.
What do you tell someone who's just been diagnosed? What's the honest conversation?
That they're not alone, and that early diagnosis actually opens doors rather than closing them. Yes, there's grief in that moment. But there's also time—time to plan, to access support, to stay in community longer. And research is moving. It's incremental, but it's moving.