Living with dementia: familiar faces, steady routines
Mum asked the same question three times before lunch, and you answered it gently every time. When memory changes, a familiar face at the door matters more than ever. Kinship supports people living with dementia, including younger onset dementia, and the families who love them across Western Sydney, with the same support worker every visit.
- Registered NDIS provider (4-GWVHCEY)
- Dementia and behaviour support (high intensity)
- Same support worker every visit
Dementia in brief
Dementia isn’t one disease. Dementia Australia describes it as a collection of symptoms caused by changes or damage in the brain, affecting memory, thinking, communication, mood and behaviour. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type; vascular, Lewy body and frontotemporal dementia are others.
It is not a normal part of getting older. When dementia is diagnosed before 65, it’s called younger onset dementia. There’s no known cure yet, but Dementia Australia says there are treatments for many of the symptoms, and the first step is usually your GP.
Figures: Dementia Australia, Dementia facts and figures (2026 estimates); AIHW, Dementia in Australia (2025 figures, updated July 2026).
General information only, not medical advice — talk to your GP or health team about your own situation. We follow Dementia Australia’s language guidelines: “person living with dementia” and “changed behaviours”.
Questions people search about dementia
What families look up when something doesn’t feel right. Short answers from Dementia Australia and healthdirect.
Is dementia a normal part of ageing?
No. Dementia is more common after 65, but Dementia Australia is clear that it is not a normal part of getting older.
What are the early signs of dementia?
Forgetting recent conversations, repeating questions, confusion about time or place, trouble with familiar tasks like a recipe or the bills, and mood changes. healthdirect notes other conditions can look similar, so see a GP.
What’s the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s?
Dementia is the umbrella term for a group of symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Who do I see first if I’m worried?
Your GP. There’s no single test: the GP takes a history, does some checks and may refer you to a specialist. Bring a trusted person and a list of the changes you’ve noticed.
What is younger onset dementia?
Dementia diagnosed before the age of 65. Dementia Australia estimates about 29,000 Australians are living with it in 2026.
Why is Mum suddenly having toilet accidents?
Dementia can make it harder to recognise the need to go or to find the toilet. But infections and constipation are common, treatable causes, so see the GP first.
Everyday life with dementia: what helps
Practical ideas from Dementia Australia. Every person is different; start with what they enjoy.
Slow and reassuring
Speak slowly in a calm voice, allow plenty of time, and don’t argue if something they say seems untrue.
Look for the unmet need
Changed behaviours often have a cause: noise, crowds, hunger, tiredness, pain, being too hot or cold, or needing the toilet.
Make the toilet easy to find
A sign on the door, a contrasting toilet seat, handrails and night lights help.
Same time, same way
Predictable days and familiar people reduce stress for everyone.
Easy on, easy off
Elastic waists and velcro make toileting and dressing less of a struggle.
Support for supporters
The National Dementia Helpline (1800 100 500) is for families too, any time of day.
NDIS or aged care: which applies?
It depends on age. If you’re younger than 65 on the day you apply, you can apply to the NDIS. Dementia Australia says people with younger onset dementia might be eligible, and the NDIS decides based on how the condition affects daily life. If you’re already an NDIS participant when you turn 65, you can choose to stay on the NDIS.
If you’re 65 or older, help comes through aged care, starting with My Aged Care. Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025.
Younger onset and the NDIS
Talk to your local NDIS partner or call 1800 800 110. Our free guide walks through the access request.
How to apply for the NDIS →My Aged Care
Call 1800 200 422 (weekdays 8am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm) to ask for an assessment.
Our aged care guide →National Dementia Helpline
Free and confidential, 24 hours a day, for people living with dementia and families: 1800 100 500.
About the Helpline →Dementia support from someone who knows them
From Colebee and Blacktown to Quakers Hill, Rouse Hill and Windsor. We help the person living with dementia keep their routines and their dignity, and we help the family breathe a little easier.
We understand what the days are really like
Dementia rarely arrives as one big change. It’s the stove left on, the shower that turns into an argument, the restless late afternoon, the question asked again and again. A new face at the door can make all of it harder.
And it’s usually the family holding everything together: the appointments, the medicines, the nights. You don’t need anyone to explain dementia to you. You need someone who turns up, learns Mum’s routine and notices when something isn’t right.
Registered, experienced and local
- Registered NDIS provider (4-GWVHCEY)
- In disability and aged care since 2017
- High intensity: dementia and behaviour support, and medication management
- Same support worker every visit
- Hundreds of clients and families supported
Founded by Shazia Begum, who has spent more than 15 years alongside people living with disability. Based at 39 Victory Road, Colebee, and families get updates from us as standard.
Here’s how we can help
Dementia and behaviour support
On our registered high intensity list, alongside medication management. We look for what sits behind a changed behaviour, such as pain, noise, hunger or needing the toilet.
High intensity support →Personal care and daily living
Showering, dressing, meals and the household rhythm, done the same way each time, by the same person.
Daily living support →Respite for the family
A familiar support worker stays with your person at home or takes them out, so you can rest, get to your own appointments or simply have the afternoon. NDIS-funded or booked privately.
Respite care →Getting out
Community participation: the walk, the shops, the cafe they’ve always liked.
Community participation →Private nursing and help at home
Anyone can book privately, while funding is sorted or alongside it. For private nursing, send us an enquiry and we’ll talk it through. For other services, call us for a quote.
Private services →For people 65 and over
Our CHSP-funded aged care is domestic assistance only, in Northern Sydney and the Southern Highlands. We’re applying to deliver Support at Home but can’t take clients under it yet. Other aged care help is available via referral or partners.
Aged care →Toilet accidents are common with dementia. They’re also worth checking.
See the GP first, because infections and constipation are common and treatable. The National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) is free, and a continence nurse can recommend products and routines.
Our sister business Equipit supplies continence products such as adult nappies, continence briefs and bed protection. Equipit is the product-supply arm of Kinship Uniting Services, an NDIS registered and CHSP approved provider since 2017.
Please note: Equipit is part of the same family of businesses as Kinship, and you’re free to buy continence products from any supplier you choose. Equipit is not an NDIS registered provider, so agency-managed NDIS funds can’t be spent with Equipit. If you’re self-managed or plan-managed, check with your plan manager first.
Caring for someone with dementia is a lot to carry, and it often happens quietly. Respite with a familiar support worker gives you real time off, we keep you updated as standard, and Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) offers support of its own.
Respite care →If you coordinate supports or manage plans for someone with younger onset dementia, call us to talk through daily living and high intensity dementia and behaviour support, and to check current availability.
Information for referrers →Come and talk to us
If you’d like us to help your family with this, call 0437 733 744 and we’ll talk it through. Tell us about the person first, then the diagnosis. We’ll tell you plainly whether and how we can help.
The free family guide to dementia
Printable and plain-English, for the person living with dementia and the family supporting them.
- Dementia in plain English, including younger onset
- Everyday tips for talking, changed behaviours, home and continence
- The NDIS and My Aged Care pathways
- Questions for the GP and assessor, and a printable checklist
Free, no sign-up. Print it, share it, take it to your next appointment.
Plain-English guides for the next step
Questions about dementia support
Can you get the NDIS with dementia?
Possibly, if you’re younger than 65 on the day you apply, meet the residence rules, and the dementia substantially affects daily life. Dementia Australia says people with younger onset dementia might be eligible.
Dad is over 65. Where do we start?
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to ask for an assessment. The National Dementia Helpline (1800 100 500) can also talk you through the options.
Does Kinship provide dementia care at home?
For NDIS participants, yes: dementia and behaviour support is part of our registered high intensity supports, along with personal care. Our CHSP aged care is domestic assistance in Northern Sydney and the Southern Highlands.
Will Mum have the same support worker each time?
Yes. The same support worker every visit, so they learn her routine, her preferences and the small signs that something isn’t right.
Can we book help privately?
Yes. For private nursing, send us an enquiry and we’ll talk it through. For anything else, call us for a quote. The final price is confirmed in writing before any booking.
Who can we call in the middle of the night?
The National Dementia Helpline runs 24 hours a day on 1800 100 500. Dementia Support Australia (1800 699 799) is also available around the clock for advice on changed behaviours.
How do we get started with Kinship?
Call 0437 733 744, or send an enquiry through our website. We’ll ask about the person first: what a good day looks like and what’s getting harder. Then we’ll tell you plainly whether and how we can help. If there’s an NDIS plan, have it nearby. If there isn’t one yet, we can still talk it through.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these organisations. We checked them in October 2026; always go to the source for the latest.
- Dementia Australia — What is dementia?
- Dementia Australia — Dementia facts and figures
- Dementia Australia — Young onset dementia
- Dementia Australia — Testing and diagnosis
- Dementia Australia — Mood and behaviour changes
- Dementia Australia — Continence
- Dementia Australia — Younger onset dementia and the NDIS
- Dementia Australia — National Dementia Helpline
- Dementia Australia — Dementia language guidelines (PDF)
- healthdirect — Dementia symptoms
- AIHW — Dementia in Australia
- Dementia Support Australia
- NDIS — How to check your eligibility
- NDIS — Age requirements
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — Support at Home
- National Continence Helpline (continence.org.au)
General information only, not medical advice — talk to your GP or health team. Images are illustrative; to protect our clients’ privacy we never show real clients.
Let’s talk about what would help at home
Call us and we’ll talk it through. Tell us about the person first, then the diagnosis.
Registered NDIS provider 4-GWVHCEY. Operating in disability and aged care since 2017. See all conditions we support.