When Kyabram resident Mick Simpson was first diagnosed with dementia in 2018, he wasn’t satisfied with the support on offer.
“Nobody can understand what is involved for the person that's got dementia,” Mr Simpson said.
“We need more facilities in the country areas to handle that first 12 months and where people with dementia can go and talk to other people.”
On Friday, June 3, Mr Simpson arrived in Seymour on day four of a nine-day walk from Kyabram to the steps of Parliament House. As Mr Simpson makes his way through the district, he is also drawing attention to the shortage of health workers and facilities to support people living with dementia.
“We still haven't got enough carers around the place, but we haven't got the facilities as well,” he said.
“We need those facilities to have a place where these people can go, whether it's in Seymour, whether it's in Shepparton, Kyabram or Echuca, or wherever, there's got to be a place there where we as a dementia family can go and vent.
“There's no two ways about it. We've got to get our backsides into gear and change it.”
In Seymour, Mr Simpson was greeted by Lions Club members and State Member for Euroa Steph Ryan.
Mr Simpson and Ms Ryan discussed the challenges facing people living with dementia in regional Victoria, a conversation he will be repeating on Wednesday when he is met by Victorian Nationals Leader Peter Walsh at Parliament House.
Mr Simpson is set to have walked 180km by the time he reaches Melbourne and he is pushing hard for governments to fund dementia-focused media campaigns, replicating what has been done on work safety, smoking and drink driving.
“We need to bash it into the heads of someone in Parliament to get the ball rolling and get the awareness out there and get that stigma out of the way, because it’s too much,” he said.
According to Dementia Australia, there are almost 500,000 people living with dementia in Australia, with that number set to increase to more than a million in the next 20 years.
The toll of this increase is set to be significant, as data shows that dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and the leading cause of death for women.
For community members who are worried they may be living with the disease, Mr Simpson wants everyone to feel that they can speak with medical professionals about their concerns.
“Get that diagnosis right out of the way,” he said.
“And then just find someone you can talk to while you're going through the first 12 months ... because those 12 months are horrific.”
If this article has raised concerns for you or someone who you know, the National Dementia Helpline is available at 1800 100 500.
To donate to Mick’s campaign, visit fundraising.dementia.org.au/fundraisers/micksimpson