Measure 1.4: People in regional, rural and remote settings have improved access to dementia diagnosis and support
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The process of getting a diagnosis of dementia can be challenging for all Australians, but particularly those living in regional, rural and remote areas where there are additional barriers to accessing health and support services (AIHW 2025).
There is no national data set that captures how many people receive a dementia diagnosis or support in Australia. In particular, there are no data on dementia diagnoses by general practitioners (GPs) and other specialists outside of specialist diagnostic centres. Specialist diagnostic centres are less common in regional and remote areas, and many people are diagnosed through other services or not diagnosed at all.
Some data that provide insights into this measure are available from:
- The Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT) Registry
- Dementia Support Australia
- Dementia Australia.
The indicators shown below should be interpreted with caution as the data are based on services that reach a limited number of people.
Data development is underway, with ongoing work to improve the availability of national data to report on diagnostic and post-diagnostic care. Data from the recently conducted Living with Dementia Survey may be added to reporting when they become available.
Services and people participating in the ADNeT Registry in regional or remote areas
While there are no national data on the number of people accessing memory clinics, the ADNeT Registry provides some insights on people accessing the specialist diagnostic services that have volunteered to participate in the Registry. While specialist diagnostic services are an important source of dementia diagnosis and the ADNeT Registry is helping drive best practice diagnosis, information on dementia diagnosis occurring in other settings, such as in GP practices, remains a significant data gap.
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Indicator
Number of services participating in the Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT) Registry that are located in regional or remote areas.
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Baseline value
20 services in 2024
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Latest value
Baseline value only
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Progress
To be provided in future updates
The desired outcome is an increase in the number of ADNeT-registered services in regional and remote areas, indicating improved access to specialist diagnostic services. It should be noted that in 2024, all services were located in regional areas; none were located in remote or very remote areas.
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Indicator
Number of new participants who joined the Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT) Registry who live in regional or remote areas.
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Baseline value
595 new participants in 2024
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Latest value
Baseline value only
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Progress
To be provided in future updates
The desired outcome is improved access to specialist diagnostic services located in regional and remote areas, and so this indicator should increase over time.
Change over time
Future updates of this report will track changes over time for the above two indicators.
Of the 595 new participants who joined the ADNeT Registry in 2024 and lived in regional or remote areas:
- 61% were diagnosed with dementia and 39% with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In Major cities, 58% were diagnosed with dementia and 42% with MCI.
- 50% were women and 50% were men; among Registry participants from Major cities, 55% were women and 45% were men.
- 10% were aged less than 65; a lower proportion was observed in Registry participants from Major cities (5.9%).
The ADNeT Registry is a clinical quality registry for people newly diagnosed with dementia or MCI. The ADNeT Registry has expanded in July 2025 to collect post-market surveillance data on disease-modifying therapies that are approved in Australia for people living with dementia or MCI.
The indicator only includes people newly diagnosed with dementia or MCI who were diagnosed at one of the services that voluntarily joined the ADNeT Registry. As such, ADNeT Registry data may not be representative of all people being diagnosed with dementia or MCI in specialist diagnostic services across Australia. In 2024, 74 services participated across Australia: 54 services were located in Major cities, 20 were located in Regional areas, none were located in Remote or Very remote areas.
These indicators are presented as a raw number because there are currently no suitable denominator data that represent the total number in the target population.
The published data describe only ADNet Registry participants with known sex, age, and/or remoteness. National data on specialist diagnostic services are needed to complement ADNeT Registry data and fully understand the national impact of the Action Plan.
For more detailed data, including the counts used to calculate proportions, see the Supplementary data tables.
For more information, see the Technical notes.
Specialist outreach services for people living in regional and remote areas
Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) refer to a range of non-cognitive symptoms common among people with dementia. BPSD can have a significant impact on quality of life, health outcomes and caring needs for people living with dementia.
Dementia Support Australia (DSA) provide specialised non-pharmacological and clinical support and advice to carers of people living with dementia who experience BPSD. This includes both health and aged care professionals as well as family and community members supporting people living with dementia.
The baseline data available for this indicator are limited to people using DSA services.
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Indicator
Number of referrals received by Dementia Support Australia (DSA) for people living in regional and remote areas.
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Baseline value
6,200 referrals in 2024
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Latest value
Baseline value only
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Progress
To be provided in future updates
The desired outcome is an increase in referrals to Dementia Support Australia for people in regional and remote areas, indicating improved availability of specialist outreach services.
Change over time
Future updates of this report will track changes over time for this indicator.
Historical change over time: 2019 to 2024
There was an increase in the number of referrals received by Dementia Support Australia for people living in regional and remote areas, from 2,200 in 2019 to 6,200 in 2024 (Fig 1.4.1).
Figure 1.4.1: Number of referrals received by Dementia Support Australia, by remoteness area and year, 2019–2024
Column chart shows numbers were highest in Major cities, decreasing as remoteness increased. Referrals increased each year.
Gender
In 2024, just over half (53%) of the referrals received by Dementia Support Australia for people living in regional and remote areas were for women, and 47% were for men. This was a similar pattern to referrals in Major cities (55% for women, 45% for men).
First Nations people
The number of referrals received by Dementia Support Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people living in regional and remote areas increased from about 65 referrals in 2019 to about 265 referrals in 2024 (Figure 1.4.2).
Figure 1.4.2: Number of referrals received by Dementia Support Australia for First Nations people, by remoteness area and year, 2019–2024
Column chart shows fluctuating numbers each year by remoteness.
Cultural and linguistic diversity status
The number of referrals received by Dementia Support Australia for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds living in regional and remote areas increased from about 190 referrals in 2019 to about 540 referrals in 2024.
These data come from Dementia Support Australia (DSA). DSA represents a series of federally funded programs run by HammondCare that help formal and informal care givers support a person living with dementia.
DSA data are from 2024. This indicator is the number of people living in regional and remote areas who were participants in the Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service (DBMAS), Severe Behaviour Response Teams (SBRT) program, or Needs Based Assessment (NBA) program. Remoteness area is based on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure.
Aggregated demographic data about DSA clients are used in this report. The AIHW has not received any personal information about DSA clients.
Data for population groups are reported where data quality allows. This includes gender, remoteness area and some priority populations.
National data on people accessing dementia support services are needed to better understand enablers and barriers to accessing supports, and to provide more detailed demographic information.
For more detailed data, including the counts used to calculate proportions, see the Supplementary data tables.
For more information, see the Technical notes.
People living in regional and remote Australia who accessed Dementia Australia supports
Dementia Australia offers information, advice and support about dementia. Dementia Australia’s services are available to anybody who needs assistance with dementia, including carers and family members of people living with dementia.
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Indicator
Number of people living in regional and remote areas who accessed Dementia Australia supports.
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Baseline value
18,385 people in 2023–24.
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Latest value
Baseline value only
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Progress
To be provided in future updates
The desired outcome is that more people who live in regional and remote areas can access the supports they need, meaning an increase in this indicator.
Change over time
Future updates of this report will track changes over time for this indicator.
Historical change over time: 2022–23 to 2023–24
There was an increase in the number of people living in regional and remote areas who accessed Dementia Australia supports, from 12,544 in 2022–23 to 18,385 in 2023–24.
Age and gender
In 2023-24, 39% of Dementia Australia clients lived in regional or remote areas. Of these:
- 71% were women
- 29% were men
- 33% were aged under 65, most of whom (82%) were women
- 9.2% were aged 85 and over, half of whom (51%) were men (Figure 1.4.3).
Figure 1.4.3: Number of people living in regional and remote areas who accessed Dementia Australia supports, by age and gender, 2023–24
Column chart shows that for all age groups except 85+, women were more likely to access supports than men.
Dementia Australia provide supports to anybody who needs assistance with dementia, including carers and family members of people living with dementia. The high proportion of younger women seeking support from Dementia Australia is likely attributable to them being carers and family members of people living with dementia.
These data come from Dementia Australia.
Dementia Australia collect data for the purposes of understanding their clientele, what groups in Australia seek or do not seek their supports, and to meet internal and external reporting requirements. While data from Dementia Australia can provide insights on the use of dementia support programs, collecting complete data is not the main task or priority during certain interactions such as calls to the National Dementia Helpline when a caller is experiencing a level of distress, for example. As such, Dementia Australia data is only indicative of services provided.
This indicator is the number of people living in regional or remote areas who accessed the National Dementia Helpline, the National Dementia Support Program, the Commonwealth Home Support Program or other state-funded services through Dementia Australia in 2023–24. Clients include people living with dementia or their carers or family.
Remoteness areas are based on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure. ‘Regional or remote’ includes Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote and Very remote areas.
The indicator is presented as a raw number because there are currently no suitable denominator data that represent the total number in the target population.
Data for population groups are reported for this most recent year of data only and where data quality allows (age and gender). These published data describe only Dementia Australia clients with known remoteness, age, and/or gender.
National data on people accessing dementia-specific support programs is needed to better understand enablers and barriers to accessing supports, and to provide more detailed demographic information.
For more detailed data, including the counts used to calculate proportions, see the Supplementary data tables.
For more information, see the Technical notes.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2025) Rural and remote health, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 20 November 2025.