Supporting dementia prevention in primary care
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August 12, 2026
Throughout July and August, all Australians aged 50 will receive a letter about reducing their dementia risk. Some patients may bring the letter or a dementia risk assessment report to appointments to ask questions or seek support.
While not all cases of dementia can be prevented, research shows that addressing 14 modifiable risk factors could prevent or delay up to half of all dementia cases.
The 14 modifiable risk factors include:
- education
- hearing loss
- LDL cholesterol
- depression
- traumatic brain injury
- physical inactivity
- diabetes
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- weight
- excessive alcohol
- social isolation
- air pollution
- untreated vision loss.
Routine consultations and health checks, including heart health checks, are an important opportunity to identify and address risk early.
It’s recommended to encourage patients to:
- stay active and eat a balanced diet
- get regular vision and hearing checks
- look after their heart health and manage diabetes
- seek help for mental health
- quit smoking and limit alcohol
- be social and keep their brain active.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released a suite of resources on dementia risk reduction, including resources to support GPs understand their patients dementia risk, free online assessment tools to share with consumers, translated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources and information for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
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The purpose of this activity is to ensure patients with a mental health diagnosis (particularly high-risk mental health patients, e.g. bipolar disorder and a Mental Health Treatment Plan) that require phone (level C or D) and/or videoconference longer appointments (level C, D or E) are identified and proactively offered MyMedicare registration supporting continuity of care and improved outcomes.
Are you a First Nations carer supporting a loved one affected by alcohol, other drugs, or mental health challenges? Join Windana’s free monthly First Peoples’ Carers Program, funded by SEMPHN, and connect with others in a safe and supportive space.
Avian influenza (bird flu) is a disease caused by different strains of the bird flu virus that can spread between wild and domestic birds. Bird flu continues to pose a low risk to human health, with no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
