THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
Minister for Health
THE HON MARK BUTLER MP
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
Researchers, policy makers and healthcare workers will jointly establish Australia’s first Partnership Centre for better dementia outcomes, Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek and Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler announced today.
The first centre will focus on the theme of ‘Dealing with Cognitive and Related Functional Decline in the Elderly’.
Substantial funding of up to $5 million per year over the next five years is being provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Alzheimer’s Australia, Brightwater Care Group, HammondCare Group and Helping Hand Aged Care for the new Partnership Centre.
“The Gillard Labor Government is working hard to improve the health and quality of life for our older Australians. One of the key ways we can achieve these goals is by supporting research-informed change of our healthcare system that will expand our knowledge of diseases that affect older Australians, particularly dementia,” Ms Plibersek said.
Mr Butler added that dementia is one of the fastest growing sources of disease for older people, and the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.
“We know that if we don’t make significant inroads into dementia care and support, the healthcare system will be overwhelmed within the next 30 years,” Mr Butler said.
“To improve clinical interventions, social care and community support for dementia and related functional decline, we need to support better collaboration between those working in the health system and researchers. This is exactly what the new Partnership Centre will do.”
The Partnership Centre will draw on multiple professions and disciplines such as health services and public health policy research, sociology, economics, psychology and clinical practise expertise.
A call for a cross jurisdictional investigator team to undertake the work plan of the first centre has also been announced today. The team will consist of both researchers and those working in the health system.
The core focus of the team will be on investigating supportive care in the home, the community and long-term care institutions.
The investigator team for the first centre will be announced in the first half of 2012. Across Australia, six partnership centres will be funded to tackle key health priorities.