Right now, over 6,000 people are living with dementia on the Northern Beaches, and this is expected to increase by 151% by 2058.  

Last month several members of the Northern Beaches Dementia Alliance volunteered at Council to help improve accessibility in our area for those living with dementia. These local residents completed an audit of nominated Council facilities including Libraries, Manly Art Gallery & Museum, and some of our parking stations. Their job was to assess and recommend modifications and improvements. Wayfinding signage, better lighting and improvements to site entries were just a few of the great ideas and recommendations.  

Fay Brookes who took part in the group said: “As a carer, I see the daily battle for patients as they deal with the confusion and frustration of dementia. Anything we can do to improve public facilities in order to provide a welcoming, hazard free and user friendly environment is a major step in raising the confidence, independence and quality of life of our vulnerable citizens."  

We can’t thank the volunteers who gave up their precious time to complete the audit enough! We look forward to delivering on these recommendations that will help those living with dementia.

This audit is just one step toward making our area a Dementia Friendly Community. We’re working with the Northern Beaches Dementia Alliance and taking other steps like training staff on how to better interact with people living with dementia.

You can find out more about what we’re doing to become a Dementia Friendly Community here.

Here’s some tips from the Northern Beaches Dementia Alliance to help you communicate with those living with dementia. A little patience and kindness can go a long way.