THIS everyday habit could signal early dementia—don’t ignore it!

Rebecca Scouller noticed the vegetables in her mother’s freezer, not the fridge, and something immediately felt wrong.

A small mix-up with sugar and salt in baking only added to her unease.

She had no idea these tiny signs would mark the start of a long, challenging journey through a broken healthcare system.

The long wait for a dementia diagnosis

For many Australian families, the path to a dementia diagnosis is long and uncertain.

A study from the University of Canberra’s Centre for Ageing Research and Translation found people waited an average of three years to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, with some forms of dementia stretching delays even further.

'In some of these conditions, it's five years of uncertainty, five years of not knowing what's happening, [or] what's the cause of these behavioural changes,' said lead researcher Dr Ananthan Ambikairajah.

For Rebecca, the first signs were subtle but telling—confusion with familiar tasks, vegetables misplaced, and small errors in the kitchen.

System cracks revealed

By late 2017, she and her mother Charlotte finally secured a diagnosis, but Rebecca immediately saw the cracks in the system.

Dr Ambikairajah highlighted the serious consequences of delayed diagnosis.

Patients miss access to services, treatments, and opportunities to live independently for longer.

Up to 50 per cent of risk may be reduced through healthy ageing habits—managing diabetes, blood pressure, and heart health, exercising regularly, and engaging in intellectual and social activities—but these are most effective when started early.

Understanding dementia and early signs

Dementia is not a single disease but an umbrella term for conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and vascular dementia.

Each type can present differently, and not all symptoms match the classic memory loss and confusion.

In the study, early signs included memory problems, personality changes, attention difficulties, and impaired language.

Dr Ambikairajah noted that awareness among healthcare professionals varies.

'When I work with people who live with dementia, they often say that their GP can shape their experience—they can refer them very quickly or may not be aware of different types of dementia.'

Men with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia experienced an additional two-year delay compared with women, partly because this form affects behaviour rather than memory.

Family awareness and advocacy

For families, persistence and awareness were key.

About half of patients in the study did not recognise their own symptoms but were encouraged by loved ones to see a doctor.

Rebecca admitted she hesitated to have the difficult conversation with her 77-year-old mother.

'I completely appreciate the fear, anxiety, and in some cases pure terror of going to have that diagnosis,' she said.

The benefits of early diagnosis

Early diagnosis brings benefits beyond symptom management.

'It can help people prepare by understanding what their wishes are, what's most important to them and what they want to be able to keep doing.'

There are signs of hope.

Young-onset dementia diagnoses now often occur within 6–12 months of first GP presentation, a major improvement from past Australian estimates of 3.5 to 5 years.

The University of Canberra’s SPICE program supports people with dementia and their care partners through a 12-week course offering rehabilitation, education, and personalised strategies.

Rebecca’s observation that 'the whole sector is really broken' reflects widespread systemic challenges, including long waits for geriatricians and aged care beds.

'It's almost as difficult as it can be to try to navigate that system, and if you don't have a carer lobbying really hard, you can be left behind, and I worry about those people.'

Stigma around dementia compounds these issues.

'It's now the largest killer of Australians, it's not going away. There is better information now about brain health and how we can prevent it. So, if we're not talking about it, we're not going to reduce the rates of dementia going forward.'

Support and hope

Support is available through the National Dementia Helpline (1800 100 500), operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Programs like SPICE and advances in early diagnosis offer hope for better outcomes and opportunities to slow disease progression.

Rebecca’s story shows that advocacy and persistence can make a difference.

Small signs—vegetables in the freezer, sugar swapped for salt—should be treated seriously, not dismissed.

As Australia faces an ageing population and rising dementia rates, timely diagnosis is a matter of dignity, quality of life, and giving families precious time to prepare.

If you found the early signs in Rebecca Scouller’s story concerning, there’s another article that dives deeper into subtle behavioural changes that could signal dementia.

This piece highlights everyday habits and unexpected warning signs that often go unnoticed until they become more serious.

It’s a practical follow-up for anyone looking to better recognise early symptoms and take action before it’s too late.

Read more: 5 Shocking Signs You Might Be Ignoring Early Dementia - And It's Not What You Think!

Have you or a loved one experienced delays in getting a dementia diagnosis? What strategies helped you navigate the system?