Understanding Dementia Amongst Indigenous Australians

A growing health and social concern for all Australians, dementia previously was thought not to affect Indigenous Australians due to a shortened life expectancy. 'The word dementia has no meaning' in Indigenous terms and has reportedly been referred to as being a 'whitefella sickness' and a 'sick spirit'. However, as the life expectancy of Indigenous people increases and they grow older, Indigenous Australians will encounter causes of death and disability not unlike their non-Indigenous counterparts, including increased presentation of dementia (Arabena 2007).