Elements of day-to-day life can be made significantly more difficult when someone has dementia. Common experiences include memory loss, confusion, misplacing things and changes in mood or personality traits. As the condition progresses, it significantly impacts a person’s health and quality of life and eventually results in the reliance on care providers for all aspects of their daily lives. 

In 2021, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended the development of a comprehensive, clear, and accessible pathway for people living with dementia, their carers and families. In response to the Royal Commission report, SEMPHN collaborated with Dementia Australia to develop the localised Dementia Pathways for south east Melbourne. 

SEMPHN’s Dementia Pathways include:

• First steps for people who received a recent dementia diagnosis and their care givers and family members 
• A comprehensive list of local services in south east Melbourne for: 
• aged care assessments
• allied health 
• dementia support 
• social and wellbeing 
• elder’s rights
• care finder
• palliative care. 
• Culturally and population specific services for:
• First Nations people
• people from multicultural backgrounds
• LGBTIQA+ identifying people
• those with young onset dementia (<65 years old)

The pathways were developed to increase awareness of dementia-related services and supports in south east Melbourne, with the aim of enabling people living with dementia to feel supported in their community. 

To view the Dementia Pathways, or to share them with your patients, friends and family, visit www.semphn.org.au/dementia