Shaping the Future
Young Onset Dementia
National Summit - 12 November 2024

Why the Summit was held 

We wanted to find solutions to improve services for young onset dementia (YOD) in Australia, and develop proposals to present to our Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

Who attended

The Summit was attended by those who want to see improved care and support options for people living with young onset dementia and their families in Australia.  This includes:

  • people living with young onset dementia
  • care partners and family members
  • clinicians
  • support and service providers
  • peak groups, policymakers and advisors.

The Summit heard from a variety of individuals and organisations. If you would like to watch the entire Summit you can go to https://youtu.be/aJ0er6YQnLM to see it.

Joints Solution project

Find out more about the Joints Solution project here

More about our speakers

 

We were delighted to have representatives from across Australia and the UK speak at the Summit.

You can read more about our speakers and panellist below

Presentations and reports

Australia’s first National Young Onset Dementia Summit  brought together over 110 representatives.

The landmark event was hosted by the Joint Solutions Young Onset Dementia Project consortium, led by the Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance (YPINHNA).

Speaker presentations and reports referred to throughout the day can be found below.

 

A rapid review of models of care and pathways for people with young onset dementia

Undertaken by Associate Professor Nathan D’Cunha and his team at Canberra University, the Rapid Review looked at international models of care for people living with young onset dementia.

Three core types of young onset dementia models of care are described, including:

(a) systems-level models, including national frameworks, referral pathways, guidelines and funding models;

(b) specialised services and memory clinic models, including those within-systems, integrated and collaborative care models and

(c) supportive care models

Click here to read full report

The Joint Solutions Report

The Joint Solutions Report presents the outcomes of a series of surveys and focus group discussions undertaken by the Young Onset Dementia Special Interest Group (YODSIG) as part of the Joint Solutions Project’s work to describe a system of care for Australians living with young onset dementia.

The report argues that pathways to access services for both diagnosis and after a diagnosis of young onset dementia, are disparate because young onset dementia sits at the intersection of the health, disability, and aged care sectors. It concludes that people living with young onset dementia and their families wait too long for support, are offered services which are not age-appropriate, and fall through the gaps of these services.

Click here for full report

You may also be interested in the following:

  1. A rapid review of models of care for young onset dementia – Associate Professor Sam Loi
  2.  Joint Solutions Project results – Dr Clare Beard
  3. Updating the Dementia Clinical Practice guidelines and principles of care – Professor Amy Brodtmann
  4. Young onset dementia Project Infographic
  5. Call to Action’  This ‘Call to action’ was overwhelming supported by the Summit attendees.

 

 

Summit speakers and panellists

Our speakers and panellists come from across the community and include people with lived experience, health practitioners and researchers.