AUSTRALIA: Hazel's carer daughter in dementia advisory group

SYDNEY, NSW (The Australian), March 3, 2008: HAZEL HAWKE is for many Australians the human face of dementia. Since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease seven years ago, the ex-wife of former prime minister Bob Hawke has never lost her strong sense of joy, despite her deteriorating condition. And by her side, Mrs Hawke's daughter, Sue Pieters-Hawke, has provided unwavering support. Now the daughter, who lives next-door to her mother on Sydney's north shore, will co-chair a high-level 16-member national advisory group on dementia appointed by the Rudd Government. Ms Pieters-Hawke said she would use the appointment to push for big changes in the way the disease was dealt with in the community. She was relieved that Mr Rudd had thought to appoint somebody who was at the centre of caring. "I'm motivated by what I've learnt about the disease, about how awful it can be for people with it, but also for families and carers and about how we could be doing a much better job as a community," she told The Australian. "My purpose for taking this role would be to make change." Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot embraced the unprecedented elevation of a carer to lead a dementia advisory group, which will be co-chaired by former Brisbane Liberal lord mayor Sallyanne Atkinson. "For the first time, the revamped council will have a carer in a key role and providing expert advice," Ms Elliot said. "The new direction will build on the research and scientific advice from the previous taskforces." Ms Elliot said Ms Pieters-Hawke and Ms Atkinson - who chaired the previous dementia taskforce - had skills that would assist the Government in responding to the challenge of dementia. "In the spirit of bipartisanship and continuity, I have appointed Ms Pieters-Hawke and Ms Atkinson to co-chair the group," Ms Elliot said. Ms Pieters-Hawke's appointment follows the release of her book Hazel's Journey, which raised money for the Hazel Hawke Alzheimer's Research and Care Fund. Mrs Hawke, 78, was extended ex-gratia financial assistance by the Howard government, which also gave a $250,000 taxpayer-funded donation to the Hawke fund. "We are very fortunate that she is very cheerful," Ms Pieters-Hawke said. "People have different pathways with dementia and hers is one of the less gruesome ones. It's been an enormous juggling act, but financially I have to keep up other commitments." She wanted to redesign programs already in place and come up with proposals for policies that would significantly alter the experience of dementia for sufferers and for their loved ones who cared for them. "Australia could be a better place in regard to how we deal with the people who get dementia," Ms Pieters-Hawke said. "From a consumer-carer point of view, it's confusing finding out what help is out there. Navigating the system, getting the help you need when you need it -- it's a very difficult issue." There are more than 200,000 Australians living with dementia. Most dementia sufferers are elderly, and the number of people it affects is expected to double within the next 20 years with the nation's ageing population. "Australians now have the world's longest life expectancy and that means we have to have strategies in place to deal with this challenge," Ms Elliot said. The first meeting of the Ministers Dementia Advisory Group will be held in the NSW north coast town of Kingscliff today. By Patricia Karvelas, Political correspondent Copyright 2008 News Limited. _______________________________________________________________ Related report AUSTRALIAN AGEING AGENDA, March 3, 2008: New dementia advisory group The daughter of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Sue Pieters-Hawke, has been appointed along with former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Sallyane Atkinson to co-chair a 16-member national dementia advisory group. Ms Pieters-Hawke has cared for her mother, Hazel Hawke, since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease seven years ago. She is also the author of a bestselling book – Hazel’s Journey – which tells the story of her mother’s experience with dementia. “For the first time, the re-vamped council will have a carer in a key role and providing expert advice,” said the Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot. Ms Atkinson chaired the previous dementia taskforce. The new Dementia Advisory Group has been established to build on the work done by the Dementia Taskforce and its three working groups established in July 2005 under the former Government. Its role will be to advise the Government on Australia’s response to the challenge of an ageing population, particularly the growing incidence of dementia. The group met for the first time this morning in the NSW town of Kingscliff where the Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, announced more than $9 million in grants to fund dementia research. In total, fifteen grants have been awarded to researchers in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Among the list of grant recipients were: - Professor Dimity Pond, from the University of Newcastle, who will study the management of dementia in general practice; - Dr Marie Cooke, from Griffith University, who will look at the effects of music on behaviour; - Professor Len Gray, from the University of Queensland, who will study the clinical outcomes of hospitalisation of people with dementia; and - Professor Maria A Fiatarone Singh, from the University of Sydney, who will study mental activity to improve brain function in identified at-risk individuals. There are currently more than 200,000 Australians living with dementia but that number is expected to double within the next 20 years as the population ages. © 2006-08 The Intermedia Group.