THE Northern Tablelands is expected to have a spike in the number of people suffering dementia with an increase of 269 per cent by 2050.
Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay said the figures released at a Parliamentary Friends of Dementia meeting in Parliament House on Friday were alarming.
He has called for more resources to be allocated for dementia and people caring for sufferers of the condition.
“This dreadful disease is already the single greatest cause of disability in people over 65 and is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and stroke,” he said.
Northern Tablelands is now ranked 33rd of the 93 electorates in NSW with 1124 people diagnosed and is predicted to rise to 3060 by 2050.
“Dementia is one of the biggest health challenges we face,” Mr Torbay said.
“We are fortunate in our area that we do have some excellent support measures in place including the Memory Assessment Program.”
New England Medicare Local staff facilitate regular carer support meetings in Armidale and travel and speak with community groups across the Northern Tablelands on dementia and risk reduction.
Dementia education and carer support program manager, Sally Henry, and clinical co-ordinator of the Memory Assessment and Patient Support Services, Cate Doyle, also meet and consult with individual clients in Armidale, Guyra, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tenterfield and Uralla
Projections at the Parliament House meeting showed that by the 2060s national spending on dementia would reach $83 billion, outstripping that of any other health condition.
