Legal Issues for People Living with Young Onset Dementia in Australia

This report examines legal issues and their implications specific to young onset dementia. The circumstances and needs of people with young onset dementia, and those who support them, are often different from those of older people. The report addresses several key questions: 1. What are the key legal issues relevant to young onset dementia, considering a continuum that spans prevention, receiving a diagnosis, living with dementia, and the end of life? 2. What are the legal problems and needs of people with young onset dementia, their families and the service systems with which they interact, with attention to the differences between onset of dementia at younger and older ages? 3. What are the key legal gaps associated with young onset dementia in: the law; government policy; access to legal services; and policing and court processes? 4. What are the specific legal issues associated with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and My Aged Care (MAC) system in relation to young onset dementia, especially in light of the recent legislative changes? 5. What services/advice streams currently exist to assist individuals and organisations deal with legal issues arising from young onset dementia? 6. What reforms are needed and what are priority areas for research to provide evidence to guide reform recommendations?<p></p>