Dementia aid ends

I AM deeply disappointed and angry that as of 30 June Dementia Australia are withdrawing their face-to-face services from Townsville and the surrounding regions.

Since 2003 volunteers have been providing support and services to locals living with dementia.

Alzheimer’s Australia provided support (limited financial and material) for many years until paid staff were installed in 2013.

2015 was a great year for the Townsville region when a dedicated office space in Kings Road was opened by Alzheimer’s Australia with five paid staff.

Since 2016 there has been a slow attrition of the staff and many operational functions withdrawn to Brisbane. The current staffing is one parttime dedicated staff member with the support of 12 to 15 dedicated volunteers.

This staff position will no longer be funded by Dementia Australia as of 30 June and the office will be closed.

Two support groups are run in Townsville and the volunteers in Ingham also run a monthly support group.

Experience over 17 years has shown that regional and rural people want to visit and talk to someone face-to-face.

Our volunteers have had a presence in this region for 17 years.

There are over 1500 aged care facility beds in Townsville, Charters Towers, Ingham, Ayr and Home Hill. Allowing for 50 per cent of people in those beds to be affected by dementia this does not allow for the number of people living with dementia in the communities needing support to remain in their homes. It is very evident there is a growing need for Dementia Australia’s face-to-face services in our region.

With the withdrawal of Dementia Australia volunteers will again be faced with the task of setting up a not for profit service to continue to provide information and support to those living with dementia and their loved ones. The volunteers are back where they started in 2003 when the Alzheimer’s Association withdrew their local service to Brisbane. The bottom line is that our region has been abandoned by Dementia Australia.