Bayside Council will take steps to become dementia-friendly in its services for the ageing and disabled.
Councillor Ed McDougall put forward a motion at last week's council meeting calling on the council to prepare a report on the steps required to make the LGA dementia-friendly with the recommendations used to draft a future Positive Ageing Strategy for the council.
The report should address initiatives in place to support people with dementia in the Bayside community, investigate opportunities for partnerships with relevant organisations to support people with dementia, and look at the potential for grant funding from the State and Federal government.
"Dementia is diagnosed if two or more cognitive functions are significantly impaired," Cr McDougall said.
"These can include memory, language skills, understanding information, spatial skills and attention.
"As there is no prevention or cure, support is vital for both those living with dementia and their carers. Dementia is the single greatest cause for disability for older people.
"14.6 percent of our population is aged 65," Cr McDougall said.
"We need to plan now for our future aged care needs."
Bayside Council general manager, Meredith Wallace said the information would be incorporated as part of the council's Positive Ageing Strategy that will be delivered in the 2021/22 financial year.
In May, Georges River Councillor Colleen Symington called on her council to prepare a report providing the steps required to make Georges River dementia-friendly.
"There is currently no prevention or cure for dementia and without a medical breakthrough, dementia is projected to increase to over 345,000 people in NSW by 2058," Cr Symington said.
"People living with dementia make up approximately 52 per cent of those in aged care facilities - it is the second leading cause of death and the single greatest cause of disability for older Australians."
Dementia Australia has said the number of Australians living with dementia is close to half-a-million, there are an estimated 1.5 million involved in the care of people living with the disease.
In the federal electorates of Barton, Cook and Hughes there were an estimated 9,046 people living with dementia in 2019, which was expected to increase to 21,881 by 2058.
