Dementia Support Finder

Welcome to the Dementia Community Services and Support Finder

With an estimated 40,500 Western Australians currently living with dementia there is a need to provide up to date local resources to assist in all stage of the dementia journey.

Many services to support those living with dementia exist in Western Australia, however, navigating this information is often difficult before and after diagnosis.

This Dementia Community Services and Support Finder will assist in navigating national and local resources relating to dementia care for those living with dementia and their family and carers.

This page was made possible through the Primary Health Network Aged Care Program funding, and was informed by consultation with local dementia organisations and consumers.

Improving the visibility of support available in the community is a priority of the Dementia Community Services and Support Finder to improve community understanding of dementia through access to clear information.

For quick access to services for people living with dementia, click the “find a service now” button under quick links and enter your postcode.

Quick links

Find a service now

    What is dementia?

    The term “dementia” refers to a group of neurocognitive conditions, that affects the ability to think and reason and includes the ability to remember things, process information, concentrate, speak, learn and understand. It is characterised by a general deterioration in brain function and is not a single specific disorder.

    Thinking, behaviour, and the capacity to carry out daily chores are all impacted by dementia. The person’s regular social or professional life is hampered by the altered brain function.

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    Frequently asked questions about dementia

    Find out more:

    Dementia services contact details in Australia
    Types of dementia

    The term “dementia” refers to a group of neurocognitive conditions, characterised by a general deterioration in brain function. People have been affected by this illness for hundreds of years. Prior to the 20th century, dementia was a relatively uncommon condition as fewer people in pre-industrial societies lived to old age. Dementia was not previously described as we understand it today until the middle of the 1970s.

    Support for People Living with dementia including family and carers

    When you or a loved one receives a dementia diagnosis, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. You might not be aware of the assistance available to support you and your family during the dementia journey.

    When a loved one is living with dementia, family members and friends frequently find themselves taking on the role of caregiver. While taking care of a loved one can be gratifying, there can also be difficult times.

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    General information
    Managing personal care at home
    Social care strategies
    Managing changes in behaviour
    Legal aspects and dementia care
    Accessing care
    Support services available
    Further education
    Staying active

    Any plan for holistic wellness should include physical exercise as evidence has found that it lowers the risk of cognitive decline. Engage in cardiovascular exercise to raise your heart rate, if it’s safe for you to do so. As a result, your brain and body will receive more nourishment while potential dementia risk factors including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol are reduced.

    Useful apps

    People living with dementia can utilise specifically created applications to keep their minds active, communicate with loved ones, or monitor daily routines.

    Support in your area

    For quick access to services in your area, click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    For localised community support services and more information please check the resources below listed under your region.

    Find a service now

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    If you wish to have services added to this page, or would like to request any changes please contact info@wapha.org.au.

    Statewide services

    To find more services in your area, click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    Perth Metropolitan
    • Alzheimer’s WA 
      • Belmont – Fourth Wednesday of the month, 10.00 am
    • Alzheimer’s Australia WA Ltd – Offer a one day course for people who know or care for a person living with dementia (not suitable for people with a diagnosis of dementia)
    • Alzheimer’s Australia WA Ltd – Mary Chester House – 9 Bedbrook Place, Shenton Park
      • Alzheimer’s WA provides short stay respite services at dementia specialist households.
      • Men’s Shed 
    • Alzheimer’s Australia WA Ltd- Walker House – Alzheimer’s WA provides short stay respite services at dementia specialist households.
    • Bethanie Community Care Social Centres – Provide a range of social outings and support for complex health needs, including dementia
    • Carers WA – Support for carers
    • Carers WA Linking Together Social Support Groups
      • Armadale/Gosnells – Carers support group – 1st Tuesday of each month
      • Belmont- Carers support group – 2nd Wednesday of each month
      • Cannington- Carers support group – 2nd Wednesday of each month
      • Cannington/Kenwick- Carers support group – 3rd Friday of each month
      • Mandurah- Carers support group – 2nd Friday of each month
      • Rockingham- Carers support group – 3rd Tuesday of each month
    • Dementia Communication Resource Designs: Div of Multil Expression – Information on talking to someone with dementia
    • Dementia and Alzheimer’s Australia Ltd – Mild Cognitive Impairment: small-group program supporting people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 
    • Davis House Mercy Care – Provide essential respite to dedicated carers, enabling them to have their loved one remain living at home for as long as possible.
    • Dementia Carer Support Group
      • Baldivis – Carer Support Group at Library 3rd Thursday of the month
      • Mandurah – Carer Support Group at Library 4th Friday of the month
      • Melville – Carer Support Group at Library 3rd Monday of the month
      • Rockingham – Carer Support Group at Autumn Centre 2nd Wednesday of the month
      • Spearwood – Carer Support Group at Library 1st Friday of the month
    • Ella’s House Men’s Shed – Engage in activities that can help maintain strength, coordination, thinking skills and emotional wellbeing
    • Ella’s House – Social and Activities Group 
      • Coogee Social Group – 
      • Rocky Social Group – Wakiki
      • Willeton Social Group
    • 2Flourish WA – Individualised dementia and cognitive disability care services
    • Forget Me Not Memory Café
      • Baldivis – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 4th Tuesday of the month
      • Belmont – 4th Wednesday of every month, 10am -12pm – Round The Corner Bar and Grill
      • Bindoon – 3rd Tuesday of every month, 10am -12pm – Bindoon Library
      • Cockburn – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 4th Tuesday of the month
      • Forrestfield – 1st Wednesday of every month, 10am – 12pm
      • Fremantle – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 3rd Friday of the month
      • Gosnells – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 2nd Wednesday of the month
      • Kalamunda – First Wednesday of each moth 10:00am to 12:00 am -Gracies Café
      • Mandurah – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 3rd Wednesday of the month
      • Mt Lawley – 1st Thursday of the month, 10am – 12pm – Bethanie on the Park  
      • Port Coogee – Holds dementia community get togethers at local aged care facility 2nd Friday of the month
      • Riverton – 2nd Wednesday of every month, 1:30pm – 3:30pm – Coffee Club Stockland Riverton Shopping Centre
      • Rockingham – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 3rd Monday of the month
      • Roleystone – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café 1st Friday of the month
      • Stirling – 2nd Monday of every month, 10am – 12pm- Waldecks Garden Centre
      • Victoria Park – 4th Monday of every month, 10am – 12pm -Café Bella Rose
      • Wanneroo – 4th Thursday of every month, 10am – 12pm – Wanneroo Library
    • Headspace – Online – online support.
    • Heart and Help – Specialised dementia home services
    • Home Instead Perth Metro – Personalised home care services – North Perth, Osborne Park
    • Honeywood Music- Mathew Carano – Music Therapy – Wandi
    • Memory Café Directory – Birue Café- Holds dementia community get togethers at local café last Tuesday of the month 
    • Memory Cafe
      • Halls Head – Holds dementia community get together at local café 3rd Monday of the month
      • Kwinana – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café fourth Wednesday of the month
      • South Perth – Holds dementia community get togethers at local café every Monday
      • Wembley – Third Tuesday of the month, 2:30 pm 
      • Woodvale – Every Wednesday, 10 am Boulevard Cafe and Tearooms
    • Melodies and Memories Choir – The choir meets weekly on Thursday mornings 10.30am till 11.45am in West Swan Hall, West Swan Road, Henley Brook
    • Nurses Next Door – Specialised dementia home services – Joondalup, Perth, North Perth
    • Samantha Craig – Music Therapy – Armadale
    • Southern Districts Support Association – Provide home care packages (not dementia specific) can connect with volunteer visitor scheme. Provide home care respite.
    • Swan Dementia Alliance – Swan Valley Memory Cafe, Melodies & Memories community choir
    • The Art Gallery of WA – Art & Dementia programs offer engaging and creative experiences at The Art Gallery of Western Australia – $30
    • Yirra Mia- Rise Aged Care Social Centre – Memory support days and social activities
    • Young Dementia Network WA -Last Friday of every month 10:00am to 11:30am 

    For more services, please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    Great Southern
    • Alzheimers’s WA memory cafe – Albany – Last Thursday of every month, 10.00 am – 11.00 am, Contact Hawthorn House on (08) 9841 3755 Handasyde’s Cafe
    • Alzheimers’s WA – Mens Shed – Albany – Men with early stage dementia – Hawthorn House – 40 Henry Street, Albany
    • Alzheimer’s WA – Enabling Houses – Albany – Day centre built exclusively to support people living with dementia in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
    • City of Albany Library – Provides multi-sensory time kits to help people who are living with dementia – available through the Great Southern Library Consortium.
      • Bremer Bay Public Library
      • Cranbrook Public Library
      • Denmark Public Library
      • Franklin Public Library
      • Gnowangerup Public Library
      • Jerramungup Public Library
      • Katanning Public Library
      • Kojonup Public Library
      • Mount Barker Public Library
      • Ongerup Public Library

     

     

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    Mid West

    For more services, please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    South West

    For more services, please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    Wheatbelt
    • Alzheimers WA – York – A selection of support services, advisory services and respite throughout the Perth metropolitan and Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Goldfields regions.
    • Bindoon Library – Have a growing collection of dementia friendly books. These range from easy read fiction books to poetry, books about reminiscing, adult picture books and more.
    • Bindoon Library – Have 5 memory boxes that can be borrowed, they have been designed to encourage interaction between those living with dementia and their family and carers. Each themed box contains a range of items to stimulate memories, engage the senses and promote shared experiences.
    • Carers WA – Narrogin – Carers WA visit Narrogin monthly and hosts a morning tea with anyone who is registered with Carers WA. This provides a respite for carers in a social setting.
    • Central Wheatbelt Mobile Dementia Respite Team(Alzheimer’s Australia) – York – A service created to provide support, education and respite to carers and people with dementia.
    • Chittering Home Care – Partnering with InCasa Country and Mable, Chittering Home Care aims to allow older community members to stay in their homes by providing at home care.
    • CoRE Care – Wagin – Person centred and professional guidance, with individualised support for people liveing with dementia and their support worker. The focus is on enhancing well-being and supporting a fullfulling life. Support to identify bio-psycho-social environmental factors, impacting the individuals wellbeing. Personalised care plans for meeting the individuals needs, support programs to implement changes and strategies, service navigation and specialist dementia specific support.
    • Dementia Support Australia – 24-hour support service, by phone, email and you can request a visit generally takes up to a week for a visit if you are remote/rural.
    • Dr. Kate Saunders – Narrogin geriatrician  – Dr Saunders is a geriatritian who visits Narrogin Hospital to provide specialised care to those over the age of 65.
    • Forget-me-not Cafe, Dementia Support – A community led initiative where select locations and cafes hold monthly events to gives those living with memory loss, their carers and loved ones a supportive social network.
      • Narrogin – Gnarojin Community Centre
      • Bindoon – Library
      • Merredin – Dimensions Cafe
      • Toodyay – The Bakery
      • York – Imperial Homestead
    • Jessie House – Narrogin – Jessie House is an Activity and Respite Day Centre for people who are socially isolated and people with memory loss.  
    • Juniper Waratah Lodge Wagin – Aged care home with enabled dementia care.
    • Right at Home – a local home care business with a comprehensive portfolio of home care services for seniors and adults living with a disability, including dementia.
      Bruce Rock, Narembeen
    • Staying in Place program through InCasa County – The Staying in Place Program is an innovative community approach that is making it possible for older people in rural and regional areas of Western Australia to stay living in their won homes in their community.
    • Staying in Place program through InCasa Country
      • Cunderdin
      • Dandaragan
      • Darling Range
      • Dumbleyung
      • Gingin
      • Goomalling
      • Hyden
      • Kondinin
      • Lake Grace
      • Mingenew
      • Quariading
      • West Arthur
      • Wickipin
      • Williams
      • Wyalkatchem
    • Wongan-Ballidu Home And Community Care – Services provided to assist the aged and disable to remain in their own homes including; 
      • Gardening/Home maintenance
      • Home help
      • Meals on wheels
      • Men’s and Ladies Day Centre
      • Respite
      • Social Support
      • Transport 
      • Tuck in and Sunrise Service
    • Wyalkatchem CRC Seniors Services – Wylie CRC is home to the Wyalkatchem Senior Leisure Group which has a number of members with dementia, as well as programs to supply games and other tools to assist with memory

     

     

    For more Dalwallinu please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    Goldfields
    • Alzheimers WA – Kalgoorlie – A selection of support services, advisory services and respite throughout the Perth metropolitan and Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Goldfields regions.
    • Dementia Carer Support Group – Esperance – Support group for family members and carers of people with dementia
    • Esperance Aged Care Facility – Esperance Aged Care Facility is a non profit community based organisation. Our facility comprises of a 50 bed community nursing home (20 beds are secure) as well as a 34 bed Recherche Rotary Hostel, providing permanent and respite residential aged care services. Our mission is to deliver personalised care to the residents of the Esperance Aged Care Facility.
    • Esperance Home Care – Home care service supporting aged care, dementia patients, service veterans
    • Forget-me-not Dementia Support – Kalgoorlie – A community led initiative where select locations and cafes hold monthly events to gives those living with memory loss, their carers and loved ones a supportive social network.
    • Goldfields Navigation Services – Run by Goldfields Women’s Health Care Centre, this service offers NDIS support in the form of classes to teach participants and their support network how to interpret and utilise their NDIS plan. This service will also help participants engage in their own support services and help them to track their budget.
    • Staying in Place program through InCasa Country – The Staying in Place Program is an innovative community approach that is making it possible for older people in rural and regional areas of Western Australia to stay living in their won homes in their community.

    For more services, please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    Pilbara

    For more services, please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    Kimberley

    For more services, please see the statewide section above or click the “find a service now” button below and enter your postcode.

    Find a service now

    For localised community support services and more information please check local government websites below:

    Resources for clinicians

    Find health pathways, websites, further education and a range of printable resources to share in practice below.

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    Clinician Assist WA

    Clinician Assist WA is a secure website that provides GPs and other health professionals with guidance for assessing, managing and referring patients across Western Australia. It has replaced HealthPathways WA.

    For general enquiries about Clinician Assist WA or for support, email the team at clinicianassist@wapha.org.au.

     

    Support
    Further education
    Printable resources

    This page was made possible through the Primary Health Network Aged Care Program funding, and were informed by consultation with local dementia organisations and consumers.

    Disclaimer

    While the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has contributed to the funding of this website, the information on this website does not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government and is not advice that is provided, or information that is endorsed, by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not responsible in negligence or otherwise for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided on this website.

    PWD