The clinical approach to the person with dementia: Australia

Abstract

Introduction. The approach to the detection, assessment, diagnosis, and management of an Australian dementia patient is colored by geography (the challenge of distance), demography (a rapidly aging and increasingly ethnically diverse population), the structure and funding of the Australian health system, and the availability of specific services for people with dementia. Geography, demography, and government structure. Australia is a nation of 22 million people, occupying a landmass similar in size to the continental United States. Although there are several remote and rural communities, most of Australia's population is clustered in coastal cities. Thirteen percent of Australians are aged 6..