Port Stephens MP Kate Washington has launched the Alzheimer Australia’s discussion paper “Dementia in Retirement Villages” in her role as Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Dementia.

The Parliamentary Friends of Dementia is a bipartisan group which was formed to promote understanding and awareness of dementia, to support people living with dementia, their carers and their loved ones.

The Chairperson is the Hon. Lesley Williams MP, Member for Port Macquarie and Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs.

The release from Alzheimer’s Australia about its discussion paper accompanies this release.

Ms Washington said, “With my background as a health lawyer, I’m delighted to be able to work with Alzheimer’s Australia, in a bipartisan approach with my parliamentary colleagues, to increase awareness and improve education about dementia, to better support people living with dementia and their carers.”

“It was terrific to hear today, from the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, the Hon. John Watkins and other contributors to the discussion paper, about the importance of dementia friendly communities.  There is a real need for greater clarity and education in and about retirement villages,” she said.

“What I learnt in my professional role, is that we could be doing better in health, ageing and disabilities.  But the first task in taking steps toward ‘doing better’ is identifying where we need improvements and what they look like.”

“Alzheimer’s Australia’s discussion paper is one of the crucial steps which takes our understanding forward and I thank them for the very important work that they are doing.”