Dementia Care &
Cognitive Decline

A dementia diagnosis at age 40? It happens. Early-onset dementia is diagnosed in individuals aged 65 or younger, with some cases occurring as early as age 30. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates that in 2024, there were about 29,200 people aged 30-64 living with dementia in Australia. Sadly, the number of people with younger onset dementia will increase by 44% by 2065 to 42,000.

While the cause of this rise is unclear, identified risk factors include certain genetic factors, alcohol use disorder, social isolation, vitamin D deficiency, hearing loss, prior stroke or heart disease, and diabetes in men. Symptoms are often mistaken for stress or depression and include memory issues affecting daily life, trouble with planning, difficulty with common tasks, confusion about time or place, language problems, poor judgment, and mood or personality shifts.

A diagnosis poses unique challenges for individuals often still working and raising families. Steps following diagnosis involve future planning, staying active and engaged, building a support network, exploring treatments, and maintaining overall health and wellbeing.

Many patients with cognitive decline – particularly those in the early and middle stages of the illness – can be cared for at home and don't require nursing homes or other facilities. In fact, more than half of all diagnosed dementia patients continue to live at home.