Find a list of phone lines and websites below where you can obtain advice and information about dementia.
If you need urgent information or support right now about dementia support advice and health information lines, visit our page 24/7 support.
Dementia Australia provide a free 24/7 telephone service providing information and advice to people living with dementia, carers, and health and aged care workers. This service also provides emotional support and can connect you to community services and programs.
Ozcare provides a free service funded by the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). It can assist you in navigating the aged care system. They can visit your home or work with you via telephone.
A free 24/7 telephone helpline staffed by health professionals. Alzheimer’s Queensland also offers respite services, support groups and a dementia secure unit.
Dementia Support Australia offers 24/7 in-home support for carers when the person living with dementia is experiencing behaviours and psychological changes that are affecting their care.
A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is qualified in general medicine and is frequently the first point of contact for anyone of any age who is unwell or managing a chronic health condition. Having a regular GP lets you build an ongoing relationship where your health needs are understood. There are times when your GP may recommend and refer you to a medical specialist or allied health professionals.
If you need to see a doctor, the first call should be to your own GP.
A website where you can find a GP or health service in your area. You can search by suburb, practice type or procedure required.
Allied health practitioners provide a wide range of therapies to assist people living with dementia in living full and active lives. Examples of allied health professionals that a person living with dementia may seek support from are: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and speech therapists.
These practitioners work in different settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centres, community health centres, and private practices. You may need to pay a fee for allied health services depending on where and how you access their care, but some may be eligible for funding or subsidies.
You can access more information here about some of the different funding schemes available.
More information about allied health professionals and their work with dementia can be found below.
An information sheet providing an overview of types of health professionals (including allied health professionals) that support people living with dementia.
These short guides provide information for GPs and consumers about what can and should happen once dementia is diagnosed.
You can find an allied health professional through a number of national and local pathways.
There are many kinds of allied health professionals who work with people with dementia. Physiotherapists, podiatrists and speech therapists are some of the more commonly accessed allied health professionals.
Physiotherapists assess, diagnose, schedule, and supervise patient care in a variety of settings. They're trained to create personalised treatment plans that help people with chronic illnesses manage risk factors and physical limitations.
Podiatrists are experts in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and improvement of various conditions of the foot, ankle and lower leg.
Speech pathologists diagnose and treat communication impairments. They provide a wide range of services to help clients manage their speech skills and swallowing capacity safely.
A website where you can find allied health professionals in your area. You can search by suburb and type of health service.
Dieticians are allied health professionals who utilise their understanding of human nutrition to assist individuals in managing their health. People with dementia may have trouble eating or swallowing food, and a nutritionist can help plan a suitable diet.
A website containing information about nutrition and staying healthy while living with dementia.
A search tool to help you find dietitians. Type your suburb in the search box to find dietitians near you.
Your appearance, eating habits, nutrition, behaviour, and overall health can be impacted by poor oral health. Proper oral care is necessary to prevent eating difficulties, digestive problems and infections. People living with dementia may need an individual plan for dental care.
A search tool to help you find dentists. Type your suburb in the search box to find dentists near you.
A help sheet providing information and tips on approaching dental care following a dementia diagnosis.
A scheme that provides free dental care to eligible adults. This includes appointments for check-ups, preventive care, fillings, toothaches and emergencies. Oral health clinics are located in Redcliffe, Caboolture, Stafford, Indooroopilly, Pine Rivers, Sandgate and Herston.
People living with dementia may experience pain.
Dementia can impact the ability to express and communicate pain clearly. They may lose the ability to appropriately interpret pain signals, in which case they may express their discomfort through behaviour patterns.
You can find information on dementia and pain through these websites and tools.
A help sheet providing information about appropriate assessment and management of pain in people with dementia. People with dementia may be less able to communicate to their carer/s that they're in pain, reducing their quality of life. This can be avoided when carer/s, family and friends know to look for non-verbal signs of pain so they can provide adequate treatment, as outlined in this help sheet.
A mobile phone application (app) that helps people who are unable to verbalise their pain. It can be used by professional carers in residential aged care facilities or home care to assess and manage your pain. It has been clinically demonstrated to help patients with moderate to severe dementia better identify and manage their discomfort.
A tool for health professionals to use when assessing pain in people with dementia if they're unable to verbalise what they're experiencing.
Incontinence is the loss of control of bladder and/or bowel function.
People with dementia, just like other adults, are susceptible to other causes of incontinence. Many of these conditions are treatable. The first step is to consult with your doctor to obtain a full medical assessment.
Incontinence in people living with dementia can be related to the inability to recognise the toilet, forgetting where the bathroom is, being unaware of the need to go to the toilet and medication side effects. There are a number of measures to help manage incontinence that can be found in the resources below.
A 24/7 helpline staffed by a team of experienced continence nurse advisors. They provide confidential information, free brochures and referral to local services for people with bladder or bowel control problems.
An online help sheet that explains incontinence and some of the reasons it may occur for people with dementia. It suggests ways families and carers can manage the problem.
An online National Public Toilet Map that shows the location of public and private facilities across Australia. The map improves independence and quality of life for Australians who are affected by incontinence.
General health
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia, their diversity, histories and knowledge and their continuing connections to land, waterways and culture. We pay our respect to all Australian Indigenous Peoples and their cultures, and to Elders of past, present and future generations.
We would like to express our gratitude to all the healthy ageing advocates, including people living with dementia, older people, families, carers and health professionals, who contributed to the development of this portal. Thank you for sharing your stories and transferring your knowledge to make this portal purposeful and meaningful to support people in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region.