Dementia Awareness Survey

Where would people go for help?

The survey examined Australians’ help-seeking behaviours that are important for receiving a timely diagnosis, accessing support programs, and reducing stigma related to receiving or sharing a diagnosis.

Almost all (94%) Australians reported that they would seek help if they had symptoms of dementia. Half (49%) said they would seek help immediately, around 2 in 5 (37%) would wait a while and the rest (14%) would seek help only when the symptoms became obvious to others. General practitioners (89%), medical specialists (51%), and family and friends (39%) were the preferred sources of help (Figure 5.1).

The 49% of people who would seek help immediately contrasts with the larger proportion of people (61%) who responded that early diagnosis generally improved quality of life (Figure 1.3). It is possible that these responses are affected by self-stigma towards their own dementia symptoms that would delay them in obtaining immediate help.

Almost all (94%) Australians reported that they would share their diagnosis with family members if they were diagnosed with dementia. Two in 3 (66%) Australians would share their diagnosis with friends. One in 3 (27%) people said they would share their diagnosis with their employer and colleagues and less than 4% said they would tell nobody.

Figure 5.1: Where people would seek help from if they had symptoms of dementia, 2023