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Australia’s first national dementia survey exposes the issues: late diagnosis and patchy support, leaving families to navigate the path largely by themselves.

A significant survey shows fewer than half of those living with dementia are diagnosed within a year of first noticing symptoms. But discovery of dementia - now the leading cause of death in Australia - is only the beginning of the problem.

Even once people are aware of the creeping disease, just two in five find it easy to find, apply for and book support. A detailed Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study has exposed the issues. ABC News reports 40 per cent received no information about services after diagnosis, while just 16 per cent participated in reablement programs that can help people maintain independence.

Bottom line: A diagnosis is not an outcome. Families need information, navigation and available services to make the system work.

Data Watch: The survey heard from 1,648 carers. Almost one-third provided at least 70 hours of care a week, and about two-thirds recorded low wellbeing.

Auslan connection: NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister says the NDIA is preparing to launch Auslan Connect in early 2027, allowing direct Auslan-to-Auslan video calls at the National Contact Centre. A callback prototype is also being refined so participants can return agency calls without re-entering generic queues.

Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Dementia evidence: AIHW’s national survey heard from 266 people living with dementia and 1,648 carers, building the first national evidence base drawn from both groups. Only two in five respondents living with dementia found support services easy to navigate; carers reported complex applications, long waits and unavailable services.

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

‘Disappointed’ disabled Canberra community fears early NDIS cut onslaught

ABC News reports Carers ACT will close its disability day program and NDIS support coordination service in early October. The provider cites rising costs, funding pressure and the need to subsidise delivery; participants and advocates fear the closure will disrupt established routines and foreshadow wider service losses.

Source: ABC News | Paywall: No

‘My life can not be reduced’: Constant battle for disability support

A Current Affair profiles Eric, who has cerebral palsy and autism and lives independently with round-the-clock assistance. Nine says changes to the NDIS threaten the support structure that makes his independence possible.

Source: Nine.com.au — A Current Affair | Paywall: No | VIDEO

Jailed NDIS worker Daryl Miller banned for life after guilty plea

The Courier-Mail reports the NDIS Commission converted former support worker Daryl Patrick Miller’s temporary exclusion into an indefinite nationwide ban, effective 31 August. Miller was sentenced in May after pleading guilty to indecent offences against a former client with cognitive impairment.

Source: The Courier-Mail | Paywall: Yes

Cocoon NDIS boss Zaffar Khan hawks workshops after $60m collapse, boasts of Bollywood fame

The Courier-Mail reports former Cocoon SDA Care corporate strategist Zaffar Khan is selling business workshops after the provider’s parent company collapsed with more than $64 million in liabilities, affecting more than 400 people with disability. Liquidator Deloitte is considering whether Khan acted as a shadow director; he denies wrongdoing.

Source: The Courier-Mail | Paywall: Yes

Being Heumann already a big win for disability representation on screen

ABC News contributor Claudia Forsberg argues Being Heumann has already broken ground by placing people with disability inside the storytelling process. Ruth Madeley, who has spina bifida, plays disability-rights leader Judith Heumann, while activist Rebekah Taussig co-wrote the screenplay. The film is due for limited theatrical and streaming release in November.

Source: ABC News | Paywall: No | Perspective

‘Being Heumann’ captures joy in fight for disability rights

AFP reports director Sian Heder wanted Being Heumann to capture the friendship and joy inside collective protest, not simply its conflict. Lead actor Ruth Madeley describes the film’s authentic casting as an industry milestone, while the story presents Judith Heumann as a complex person rather than reducing her to an emblem of disability rights.

Source: AFP | Paywall: No

Travellers Aid is the little-known service helping generations of people find their way

ABC News reports Travellers Aid helps more than 110,000 people each year, providing wheelchair assistance, buggy rides, personal care and travel companions across Victoria’s transport network. The free service has expanded to Parkville, Geelong and Melbourne Airport and is considering an interstate role before the 2032 Brisbane Games.

Source: ABC News | Paywall: No