This paper demonstrates the crucial role that Dementia Australia’s Dementia-Friendly Communities program has had in improving dementia knowledge, facilitating inclusivity and reducing stigma and discrimination in the community.

Executive Summary

• Dementia is still poorly understood in Australia and people living with dementia continue to experience stigma and discrimination.

• Improving knowledge and awareness about dementia reduces stigma and discrimination and contributes to the creation of a more dementia-friendly and inclusive society.

• Social engagement and connectivity are vital for the wellbeing of people living with dementia, their family members and carers and a dementia-friendly, inclusive community is critical to supporting social engagement.

• Dementia Australia’s Dementia-Friendly Communities program plays an important role in empowering and supporting individuals and communities to undertake initiatives to improve knowledge and awareness about dementia, reduce stigma and discrimination and promote social engagement.

• The award-winning Dementia-Friendly Communities program supports alliances, organisations and initiatives in every State and Territory in varying stages of development.

• The eight case studies profiled in this paper illustrate the diverse range and scale of dementia-friendly initiatives supported by the program and their positive impact on communities across the country.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has necessarily imposed limitations on Dementia-Friendly Communities-related activities, but equally it has emphasised the significance of the program.

• Given the demonstrable success of the Dementia-Friendly Communities program, Dementia Australia recommends that the Australian Government extends funding for a further three years to ensure the growth, development and sustainability of current and future Dementia-Friendly communities initiatives.