2 weeks Ago By Damon Cronshaw
Dementia cases are estimated to rise in the Hunter by 74 per cent in 30 years without a major breakthrough in treatment. Login or signup to continue reading Almost 13,000 people in the region have the brain disease, Dementia Australia data showed. This was estimated to rise to more than 22,500 by 2054.
This year's Hunter Memory Walk and Jog at Speers Point, which raises awareness and funds for dementia , will be held on Sunday. Georgia Delahunty will take part in the walk for her dad Warren "Wazza" Wilson. "Dad was diagnosed with early onset dementia six years ago in his early 60s," said Ms Delahunty, of Wamberal on the Central Coast.
"I've just had a baby and he doesn't know her. He's starting to show some physical signs that he's not well." However, she said there was "a silver lining with his illness".
"He's probably the most carefree and happy he's ever been in his life," she said. "The illness affects everybody differently. For him, his short-term memory has really suffered.
" Ms Delahunty said her dad's illness "took some getting used to". "It was definitely a big adjustment. Dad was a white-collar worker in Sydney his whole life.
"He coached us in football. He was a very active kind of person. He was the dad you'd call if you had an issue and he'd know the answer.
"Having lost that support and rock has been really tough." She said it was getting "harder to see him physically". "Mum's his carer and we do have incredible NDIS support," she said.
"It's been really hard to see Mum's life change so much." Doing the memory walk was a way of "doing something". "There's not a lot you can do with this disease.
It slowly does its thing," she said. "It's raising money, being part of that community of people going through the same thing." Ms Delahunty will do the walk with her mum Le-anne, husband Will and eight-month-old baby girl Billie.
Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said the walk was "a great way to show support for people living with dementia, their families and carers". "It helps raise awareness about one of the biggest public health, disability and aged-care challenges facing Australia," Professor Buchanan said. "By getting involved, you are moving your body for better brain health and helping countless families.
" Dementia can happen to anybody, but is much more common after age 65. In 2023, dementia accounted for 9.1 per cent of all deaths.
This includes 12.2 per cent of female deaths and 6.4 per cent of male deaths.
It is the leading cause of death for Australian women and second highest cause for men. As life expectancy increases, the number of people living with dementia is rising worldwide. The Lancet Commission on dementia said last year about 45 per cent of dementia cases worldwide were "potentially preventable" with lifestyle improvements.
Risk factors for dementia include high LDL cholesterol, poor diet, social isolation, hearing and vision loss, and a lack of education in early life. Sunday's walk begins at 7.30am.
Details at memorywalk.com.au .
Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. Email: [email protected].
au Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. Email: [email protected].
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