Dementia is now the leading cause of death - and thus disability - in Australia, and yet almost a third of people still believe nothing can be done. This week, Dementia Action Week asks Australians to “Think Again” — and take steps to cut their risk.

If you think dementia is just part of getting old, think again.

New figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show dementia is now the leading cause of death for Australians. Without change, more than one million people will be living with the condition by 2065. Right now, 433,000 Australians have dementia — including 29,000 under the age of 65 — and 1.7 million family members and carers are caught up in their care.

But Dementia Australia says it doesn’t have to be this way. Nearly half the national dementia burden can be traced to six preventable risks: being overweight, inactivity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, smoking and kidney disease. Tackle those and you reduce the odds.

Yet almost 30 per cent of Australians still believe there’s nothing they can do. Professor Tanya Buchanan, Dementia Australia’s CEO, is blunt: “We must change this now.”

The charity has launched Dementia Action Week 2025 with a call for a national network of Dementia Specialist Navigators to help families steer through diagnosis, health systems, and care. People living with dementia and their carers repeatedly say the hardest part isn’t only the condition, but the battle to find information and services.

There are tools to help: Dementia Australia’s free BrainTrack app, which tracks memory changes; the CogDrisk test, which measures personal risk factors; and proactive GP checks on diet, sleep and lifestyle.

“Dementia is the public health, disability and aged care challenge facing Australia,” Buchanan says. The message is clear. Dementia is not inevitable. But unless government and community act, the numbers will only rise.

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A National Challenge

Dementia now claims more Australian lives than cancer, heart disease, or stroke. The AIHW’s Dementia in Australia report confirms it: without a serious public health response, cases will top one million by 2065.

Today, 433,000 Australians live with dementia. Almost 30,000 are under 65, a reminder this isn’t simply an “old person’s disease.” Behind them stand 1.7 million carers, mostly family, who are struggling to piece together daily care and navigate fragmented systems.

Prevention Is Possible

The shock is that nearly half of dementia’s toll could be avoided. Six modifiable risk factors - obesity, inactivity, high blood sugar, midlife blood pressure, smoking and kidney disease - drive a massive 43 per cent of cases.

The message from Dementia Australia is simple: address these and you cut risk. Yet 28 per cent of Australians still think there’s nothing they can do. That complacency is deadly.

Tools for Individuals

Dementia Australia is urging Australians to act. Three practical steps stand out:

BrainTrack app: a free app using simple games to track memory and thinking, producing reports to take to a GP.

CogDrisk test: an online tool giving individuals a personalised dementia risk score and practical lifestyle advice.

GP brain health checks: a conversation with a doctor about diet, exercise, sleep and other risk factors, just as routine as a heart or blood pressure check.

Families Left to Navigate Alone

For those already living with dementia, the issue isn’t only prevention: it’s survival. Professor Tanya Buchanan says families too often face a bureaucratic maze: “People struggle to navigate a diagnosis, understand their condition, and connect with the health, disability and aged care systems.”

That’s why Dementia Australia is calling for a national network of Dementia Specialist Navigators, trusted professionals to help families cut through red tape, prioritise care, and find the right services.

Voices from the Ground

Advocates like Nell Hawe warn dementia still lacks the visibility of other chronic diseases. “People are aware of cancer or heart disease. They aren’t aware of dementia and how prevalent it is,” she says. “We need action now. Funding, resources, and a trained workforce.”

Dementia Australia also highlights the tragedy of childhood dementia, which affects one in 2,800 children. Half die before the age of 10. The charity is backing calls for a national centre of excellence to research and treat childhood dementia.

The Politics of Dementia

At present, dementia remains largely absent from Australia’s chronic disease and disability strategies. That silence is no longer sustainable. Buchanan’s warning is blunt: “Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. It is the public health, disability and aged care challenge facing Australia. We must change this now.”

The Think Again campaign is meant to jolt Australians out of complacency. The reality is already here: dementia is our leading cause of death. The question is whether government, policy and public awareness can catch up.