RATES of dementia are set to triple in Australia by 2050 but people still aren’t doing enough to prepare for care, a new report warns.

In a discussion paper given to the State Government, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW estimates the number of Australians diagnosed with dementia will rise from 280,000 to around 943,000 by 2050.

Of these, 303,500 people will be from NSW.

But despite the prevalence of the disease, the report said only 55 per cent of people in NSW have a will and less than 20 per cent of Australians have recorded their wishes for end-of-life care.

John Watkins, CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, said people were often leaving it too late, placing added burden of family and friends.

“This is not a topic that we as a population generally like to talk about,” he said. “And we know from our members that many don’t talk about it until it is too late.”

The report, which surveyed 77 carers, patients and service providers, found that people were confused about where to access information and didn’t understand the differences between legal documents, such as power of attorney or advance care directive.

“These are consistent with what we hear from our clients and members in our day-to-day work,” Mr Watkins said.

In response, Alzheimer’s Australia NSW has made many recommendations, including the need for a national awareness campaign promoting planning ahead.

The report comes as new figures from Deloitte Access Economics NSW released today found that the electoral divisions of Tweed, Port Macquarie and Myall Lakes will have the highest rates of dementia respectively in the state by 2050.

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Dementia rates set to triple

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