Dementia rates in New Zealand are set to double within the next 30 years placing increased demands on families and an already over-burdened health system. But according to AUT researcher and occupational therapist, Grace O'Sullivan, life doesn't have to stop because a diagnosis of dementia.
AUT recently hosted the Dementia Care conference which was attended by a number of international experts. O'Sullivan - who presented her PhD research which examines the daily lives of people living in the community with dementia - says that more needs to be done to address dementia in New Zealand.
"A diagnosis of dementia can signal fear of the unknown and a sense of hopelessness for the future. With an increasingly ageing population in New Zealand we need to look at improving the quality of life for people diagnosed with dementia," she says.
O'Sullivan - a keen advocate of occupational therapy and recognised champion of older people's right to quality of life - was named New Zealander of the Year (Health and Medicine) 2010 by North and South magazine in recognition for her work with people with dementia. She was also awarded the Frances Rutherford Lecture award in 2010.
Dementia currently ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among the population aged 65 years and over. It affects more 41,000 people in New Zealand. By 2050 it is estimated this number will double placing increased demands on families and an already over-burdened health system.
"Dementia should be a national health care priority. It's time to do more about the human, economic and social impact of this debilitating disease," she says.
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of diseases which cause a progressive decline in a person's ability to function. Progression of the disease is largely unpredictable for each individual, says O'Sullivan.
"Life doesn't stop with a diagnosis of dementia, yet for the person receiving the diagnosis and their family, their way of living is changed forever. The way dementia is perceived in society has a powerful affect on how people with dementia view themselves. This affects their ability to cope with the debilitating symptoms of dementia and ultimately impacts on their way of life."
By itself, dementia alone is not an illness, although it is a major health and disability concern globally. Usually characterised by a slow and insidious onset, most people develop symptoms such as impaired memory, intellect, attention, and judgment over a period of years, thus generating a history of declining abilities in social and occupational functioning. Diseases which cause dementia include Alzheimer's, Vascular, and Frontotemporal. Dementia with Lewy Bodies is also becoming more prevalent.
Although the total financial cost of dementia is over $712 million annually (according to the Economic Impact of Dementia in New Zealand report - 2008), New Zealand still has the lowest level of funding for dementia research of all OECD countries.
"If families received the support they needed to keep people with dementia in their own homes, then this overall cost would be reduced," says O'Sullivan.