Fed:A new web resource launched for dementia carers

Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot says the website, which is also available on CD-ROM, will give details on 17 areas of dementia such as assessment and diagnosis, support services, forward planning and medical treatment.

"It provides links to resources, tools, guidelines and best-practice principles for use by anyone involved in the care of a person with dementia, whether family members, carers, staff and volunteers in residential care, community care and hospitals," Elliot told an international dementia conference in Sydney on Monday.

The resource had been developed by a research team at the National Ageing Research Institute, she said.

The team had consulted dementia sufferers, carers, families, peak bodies, service providers and experts as part of the government's $320 million dementia research and support commitment, she said.

"There is a wealth of valuable and useful information in the 17 sections of the guide," Elliott said.

The website is at www.health.gov.au/dementia