Page 992 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 21 April 2021
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The scale of the issue was not one that I was fully aware of until I undertook the role of CEO of the then Alzheimer’s ACT, now part of Dementia Australia, for a period through 2017. While in this role I did become familiar with some of the rather overwhelming statistics that we have talked about—the second-leading cause of death across the board; for women, the leading cause of death; and the fact that there is no cure. At the time, there were more than 4,000 people in the ACT living with dementia, and this number is rising daily.
Given the complex presentation of dementia, we still have work to do on how we manage this issue. There is really strong evidence that we can design our city in ways that will make it easier for people. We know that being connected to the community can assist in slowing the progression of this terminal illness.
We also know that, in addition to the physical impacts of dementia, including memory loss, disorientation, in some cases higher levels of aggression and the lack of personal safety, people impacted by dementia also face stigma, social isolation and loneliness. There is great work happening in the community to explore new options and ways of supporting people to live in the community.
A couple of my Assembly colleagues have already noted the fantastic work that is happening by the community organisation The Neighbourhood, a group in our community that is keen to establish Canberra’s first dementia care village. This model aims to use the very best evidence to move away from the model of secure wards in aged-care facilities and enable people with dementia to live in the community, in community-like settings that are safe and good for their wellbeing. I am really excited to see the progression of this project.
As well as looking at our public spaces, we need to ensure that our residential housing stock is being designed in a manner that responds to our ageing demographics and challenges on issues, such as our growing dementia disease burden. This is an issue that is not specifically spoken about in the motion but it is one that I thought was important to touch on in my role as Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction. Minister Davidson and Minister Stephen-Smith spoke about the importance of building in universal design. This means that we need to be building homes that are accessible for all people and that can easily and affordably be modified to support people to stay at home, even when they have mobility needs.
This is a need that we have recognised in the parliamentary and governing agreement, and it is one that I am committed to delivering. I am pleased to inform the Assembly, and the Canberra community, that this government has taken a strong and clear decision that, as a minimum, we will advocate for the National Construction Code to be amended in 2022 so that all future homes, townhouses and apartments will meet the threshold level of universal design, known as “silver” standard in the Livable Housing Australia design guidelines. I will be taking this position to the national building ministers meeting in late April, on behalf of the government.
With one in five people managing a disability, 20 per cent of the population projected to be over 65 in coming decades, and the increasing impact of diseases such as
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