Research to tackle why dementia is three to five times more likely in rural areas

As the number of people with dementia in Dubbo grows, so too does the need for support systems, and the new research funded by our peak body for people affected by dementia provides hope to regional towns and cities.

Ten years ago, Dubbo resident Bruce McDermaid's mother was diagnosed with dementia, and she passed away during the pandemic. Five years ago, Mr McDermaid's brother, Russell McDermaid was diagnosed with early onset dementia, at the age of 57.

Mr McDermaid was his mother's carer and now he is Russell's carer and advocate. Mr McDermaid has first-hand insight into the services on offer for people who live with dementia in Dubbo, and said though services were getting better, they were lacking.

The Dementia Australia Research Foundation recently provided $2.4 million in research funding to 18 projects tackling dementia and its effects on Australians, including one project to understand why people in rural areas are more likely to develop dementia, and what can be done to reverse the trend.

The research, which has received $365,000 from the funding pool, will likely have repercussions in Dubbo and other rural cities and towns - and Mr McDermaid is keen to discover the results.

Dementia higher in rural areas

Russell was living in Warren when he was diagnosed with early onset dementia.

"There is absolutely no supports out there [in Warren], so we brought him to Dubbo where there is a bit more [on offer]," Mr McDermaid told the Daily Liberal.

Mr McDermaid is a Dementia Advocate with Dementia Australia - someone who advocates for their loved one's needs with dementia and helps raise awareness about how communities can better support people with the condition.

Mr McDermaid said he would like to see more medical resources in the area.

"We were lucky enough that Russell was able to get onto the NDIS which was a godsend. The NDIS is slowly catching-up and getting more support workers out here," Mr McDermaid said.

"[But we need more] medical specialists who know dementia and not only old-age dementia - these are called geriatricians - but neurologists for the younger-onset dementia, which is a growing area, unfortunately - people getting dementia earlier [in life]."

The research will be conducted by the University of South Australia's Dr Ashleigh Smith, who said the Mid-Career Research Fellowship would enable her team to create dementia prevention strategies specifically tailored for rural and regional communities.

Russell McDermaid (left) lives with early-onset dementia after being diagnosed at the age of 57, and his brother Bruce McDermaid is his carer and advocate. Picture supplied

"We know there are 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia including smoking, diet, exercise and social isolation and we have collected good data on how these risk factors impact people living in Australian cities," Dr Smith said.

"This Fellowship will enable us to go to regional and rural areas to collect data around these risk factors."

The later parts of the project will have the university's rural campuses partner with the rural South Australian communities to design targeted, culturally- and geographically-appropriate, and sustainable dementia strategies and co-design a bespoke dementia prevention toolkit for use in rural communities.

"People living in rural and regional communities don't want city-based solutions," Dr Smith said.

"By co-designing the toolkit with people living in rural and regional communities, we will ensure the toolkit is acceptable and aimed at extending healthy life and delaying dementia onset in Australians who live outside major cities."

How the Dubbo community can help

Mr McDermaid said "a diagnosis of dementia is not a death sentence".

"People can live quite a happy life with dementia. A lot of that comes down to people in the community just having a bit of patience," he said.

"[For example], a lot of businesses around the state and country are making things like cafes with a simpler menu with pictures on them."

Mr McDermaid said when he took his brother Russell out for lunch, Russell always ordered chicken schnitzel.

"He likes chicken schnitzel, but it's probably the one thing on the menu he recognises," Mr McDermaid said.

Maree McCabe, CEO, Dementia Australia, told the Daily Liberal earlier in April people living with dementia could live well for many years, and it was critical appropriate supports were available and accessible from the earliest possible stage.

She said the community played a big role in helping support people with dementia and their loved ones, and raising awareness to make Dubbo a dementia-friendly community.

Dementia prevalence in Dubbo is estimated to grow 35 per cent by 2058, according to Dementia Australia data, meaning services will need to grow at the same rate as cases.

Mr McDermaid is calling for more services in Dubbo to help Russell and other people living with dementia. He also wants to raise awareness about the services that are on offer.

"I've just been down to the local men's shed and they're incredibly understanding. They are a good resource to the guys who are starting to get dementia or have dementia. They're a very friendly lot and those sort of services are there," Mr McDermaid said.

"And there are lots of activities that people with dementia can do and be normal parts of our society."

He said many people in the community knew memory loss was common with dementia, but there were other symptoms - like a lack of spatial awareness - that weren't as well-known.

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"The brain doesn't always communicate what the eyes are seeing properly, which is why people reach out for a glass and don't always get it," Mr McDermaid said.

"So they're a bit slower when they're doing things like that - but it doesn't mean they can't do them. People with dementia adapt to those [symptoms] and take actions that make it possible."

He said more understanding could make "a huge difference to people's lives".

He said there were towns in Australia - including Lithgow - where Dementia Alliances had helped spread the word to businesses about how they could support community members with dementia.

"Businesses might put together a simpler menu. A lot of those businesses will get to know their clients," Mr McDermaid said.

A Dubbo Dementia Alliance has had its inaugural meeting.