Alzheimer’s WA is planning to open a new dementia respite house in the northern Perth suburb of Woodvale.
The day visit house was narrowly approved by the City of Joondalup despite overwhelming resident opposition, as reported by the ABC – only two out of 51 community submissions were in favour of the proposal, with many concerned about potential impacts on traffic and rubbish, and the approval passed by seven votes to six.
According to Alzheimer’s WA CEO Ella Dachs (pictured), the location of the house – the organisation’s fourth in WA, following facilities at Shenton Park, Mandurah, and Albany – was selected to serve the local community, with predictions that almost 12,000 people in northern Perth will be living with dementia by 2032.
“This location was specifically selected following the release of Alzheimer’s WA report 2031 WA Dementia Prevalence Predictions by Local Government Area, which indicates an increasing prevalence of dementia in the City of Joondalup.
“Over 44,000 West Australians are living with dementia and it is the number one cause of death for women. While we cannot change the outcome of dementia, we can change the journey,” she said.
The organisation plans to open the new house in early 2023 following community consultation.
