GIVING DEMENTIA SUFFERERS A VOICE

DEMENTIA is one of the major chronic diseases of the century.

It is the second leading cause of death in Australia ( TB, 14/11) and based on the Dementia Australia analysis, dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in older Australians (aged 65 years and older) and the third leading cause of disability burden overall.

At present there’s no cure to help the dementia sufferer and no legal way the sufferer can indicate their desire to end their suffering when the time is right at the end of their life.

This is the reason why Dying with Dignity Queensland has asked the Queensland Law Reform Commission to include a clause relating to the treatment of dementia in the patients’ Advance Health Directive when they return with their draft legislation to Parliament in February next year.

In 2020, it is estimated that almost 1.6 million people in Australia will be involved in the care of someone with dementia.

With more than 52 per cent of patients in nursing homes having some form of dementia, these numbers will steadily increase and so too will the need for quality skilled staff which in recent investigations has shown to be lacking in some care facilities.

Where will we get extra care staff in the future? This is a serious situation and until we get a breakthrough in research, the future looks bleak for dementia sufferers in care.

Like Queensland, all the other Australian states (though not the Territories) have, or are in the process of following in the footsteps of several overseas countries who have introduced Voluntary Assisted Dying to ease the suffering of their residents with end-of-life choices.

Hopefully, Queensland will not be too far behind Victoria and Western Australia with their first attempt ever of endeavouring to have VAD introduced into Queensland.

JOAN MUSUMECI, Condon