Care Community stories

Dementia Care Connections: Supporting families with understanding and empathy

9th March 2023 | 4 min read

It’s estimated more than 400,000 Australians are living with dementia; a figure that’s expected to double in the next 25 years. Nearly two-thirds of people living with dementia are women. Our community outreach program serves people across Australia who are struggling to understand how they can support their loved one.

Caring for a family member living with cognitive decline can be stressful and brings a range of challenges. The good news is, it’s possible to live well with dementia, and it starts with a deeper understanding of the condition. It also helps to know you aren’t alone, and that help is at hand.

Dementia Care Connections is our community outreach program that supports those living with, or caring for, people with dementia through knowledge sharing forums and practical advice. This includes Dementia Care Connections webinars which are free to attend for everyone.

Hosted by dementia care experts at Opal HealthCare, forums are delivered in-person or by webinar, within a safe, supportive environment. Providing a safe space for people to ask questions is especially important given everyone’s experience of dementia is unique.

Expanding our reach

Dementia Care Connections expanded in 2023, with an in-person seminar for clinicians, carers and health professionals in Dubbo, in the Central West of NSW. This followed a concert by Dubbo’s Sing Out Choir, an inclusive choir bringing the power of music therapy to life for people living with dementia.

“It was brilliant! I’ve come from the palliative care sector and I’ve had my father at home. As a family, this Dementia Care Connections session has really made me rethink my approach when it comes to dementia care.”

- Jane, Healthcare Professional

In 2023, our 24 Dementia Care Connections webinars attracted 1,316 participants, with consistently positive feedback.

“The two sessions I have attended in the series so far have been great – especially as the language is not all medical tech but easily understood by a lay person.”

- Attendee

In 2024, in addition to Foundations of dementia, we’re introducing a new webinar series called Exploring Dementia, focusing on specific aspects of the condition, such as maintaining relationships, communication challenges, changed behaviours, and palliative care.

“This has been the best information session about dementia that I have participated in. The presenter was brilliant. He explained things very clearly and the diagrams of the brain changes were so very useful along with the way someone with dementia may view the world.”

*Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024

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Dementia Care Connections: Supporting families with understanding and empathy

Expanding our reach

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