Dementia Action Week: it's time to talk about dementia

Dementia Action Week runs from 21 to 27 September 2026. This year Dementia Australia is asking every Australian to help change a national silence, one conversation at a time. The theme is simple: it's time to talk about dementia.

Why the conversation matters

Around 446,500 Australians are living with dementia today. More than 1.7 million people are involved in their care. Dementia is Australia's leading cause of death. Despite that, it is still a subject many families avoid.

Dementia Australia describes the cost of that silence plainly. Diagnoses are delayed. Carers feel isolated. People never learn that help is there.

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing

Memory changes as we get older. Forgetting a name and recalling it an hour later is ordinary. Dementia is different. It is the word for a group of conditions that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to manage everyday tasks.

Changes worth raising with a doctor include:

• memory loss that disrupts daily life

• difficulty with familiar tasks such as paying bills or following a recipe

• confusion about time or place

• trouble finding the right word or following a conversation

• changes in mood, personality or judgement

• putting things in unusual places and being unable to retrace your steps

Any of these can have a cause other than dementia. Thyroid problems, vitamin deficiency, depression, poor sleep, infection and some medicines can all affect memory and thinking. Several of those are treatable. That is one good reason to have it looked at rather than wait and see.

What an assessment involves

There is no single test for dementia. An assessment usually starts with a detailed conversation about what has changed and when. It helps to bring a family member, because they often notice things the person may not. From there it can include a physical examination, blood tests, a short pen-and-paper thinking test and sometimes a brain scan or a referral to a specialist or memory clinic.

A diagnosis does not fix anything by itself. What it does is open doors: to treatment where treatment helps, to support services, to planning while the person can take a full part in those decisions.

Starting the conversation

Dementia Australia's point this year is that the hardest part is usually the first sentence. Their advice is to pick a quiet moment and lead with what you have noticed rather than what you have concluded. Listen more than you talk.

If you are worried about your own memory, or someone else's, book an appointment and say so when you book. Bring examples if you can. Bring someone who knows you well if that helps.

The National Dementia Helpline is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, on 1800 100 500. If you would rather speak in another language, the Translating and Interpreting Service is on 131 450.

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Source: Dementia Australia. Campaign dates and figures from dementia.org.au/get-involved/dementia-action-week. Helpline details from dementia.org.au/get-support/national-dementia-helpline. Both accessed 7 September 2026.