Dementia is now Australia’s leading cause of death
Earlier this week, I read that dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia, surpassing heart disease for the first time.
Let that sink in. It’s a big shift and it’s a clear signal that dementia is no longer something happening on the fringes of ageing. It’s right in the middle of it.
As village professionals, we’ve seen the signs: more residents choosing to age in place, families struggling to navigate the stages of cognitive decline, and those on the ground needing confidence and support on how to respond.
The Numbers Tell the Story
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, nearly 17,400 people died from dementia in 2023. That’s about 1 in 10 deaths across the country — and it’s double the number we saw just 15 years ago.
It’s now the leading cause of death for women, and the second for men.
And the projection is clear: unless something changes, over a million Australians will be living with dementia by 2065.
So the question becomes: how do we respond — not just as a sector, but as professionals working face-to-face with people every day?
This Week, and Beyond
Dementia Action Week runs from 15-21 September, and in 2025 it challenges everyone in the community to reach out and reconnect to someone impacted by dementia. Nobody can do it alone.
From the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the prevalence of dementia will double across Australia over the next 30 years. See below for how this place out in your state:
Much of the national campaign that has been running across various media outlets is to inform the public to the fact it [Dementia] is not a normal part of ageing. As village professionals, we know this.
Our Role Has Evolved
Over the last few years’ we’ve talked a lot about dementia. From dementia-friendly design, risk-reduction strategies, and the importance of early conversations with residents and families so they understand our place in their ageing journey.
Here’s what that looks like on the ground:
- Upskilling teams across the board. From front desk to facilities, everyone should feel equipped to spot the signs and respond with calm, compassionate care.
- Creating community connections. Isolation is one of the fastest accelerants of cognitive decline. The type of human connection village life offers, can be more beneficial than we realise.
- Helping families face what’s coming. Many people still don’t realise dementia is terminal. Starting those conversations early, with empathy and information, makes all the difference.
At our Professional Development Day earlier this year, we introduced participants to Dementia Australia’s Ask Annie App, or a dementia coach in your pocket as we call it.
Tools like this are available to us, as professionals. We need to continue to build our knowledge. Not just for how to support our residents with a diagnosis, we also can help our staff, and resident families, navigate their way forward.
Dementia is a normal part of our business. It is BAU for Village Professionals. How we respond will determine the experience of our residents, as wider society comes to the realisation death rates due to dementia will only further increase with our ageing population.
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