 And I believe that the best buy in public health today must be a combination of regular physical exercise and a healthy diet. |
| The strongest initiative that government can take to ensure Australia is prepared for population ageing, is to maintain a strong economy, and a secure nation. |
| Our cultural diversity has most certainly shaped our national character. |
| Synergy and serendipity often play a big part in medical and scientific advances. |
| We are increasingly recognising and accepting, respecting and celebrating, our cultural diversity. |
| Advances in science and medical research and public health policies have meant that life expectancy for Australians is one of the highest in the world. |
| We preserve the status quo, preserve existing systems. |
| We know we are entering a period of transformation in aged care. |
| Community care is a fundamental, an essential, an enduring part of our aged care system. |
| We are already seeing older people wanting greater choice in how, when and where they receive care. |
| At the last census it indicated that about 22 per cent of Australians were born overseas. |
| When the Australian Government looked at how to meet the challenges, and the opportunities, presented by our ageing population, it saw that an all-encompassing approach was a prerequisite. |
| Greater public recognition will also be critical in encouraging prevention and early intervention, and more generally in building public support to meet the challenges of dementia. |
| Ageing means a loss of a number of skills over time. |
| Australia is already a world leader in dementia research, treatment and care. |
| We know that so many of the conditions and diseases that we associate with ageing can often be prevented or in fact their onset delayed if we just took preventative steps earlier in our lives. |
| Prevention is one of the few known ways to reduce demand for health and aged care services. |
| Today it has been estimated that the average 70 year old has four chronic conditions and consumes an average of 35 PBS scripts per year for those conditions. |
| Dementia is not exclusively a problem of the developed world. |
| It is a fact that governments tend to put in place policies and strategies in response to current scenarios. |
