Tips for grassroots dementia advocacy

Post on social media

Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians and provisional data is showing dementia is soon likely to be the leading cause of death. Make dementia the priority, it needs to be #dementia #auspol.

Post about your experience with dementia and explain why dementia matters to you.

You can also download our social media pack or use one of our social media tiles below.

Text or call your local talkback station

A great way to bring attention to dementia is to raise the topic on your local talkback radio station.

List of talkback radio station phone and SMS numbers

Tips and advice for talkback radio

• Allow for plenty of time. Sometimes the producer who answers the call may ask you to wait on the phone for up to 5-10 minutes until they are able to put you through to speak live on-air.
• Consider writing down a couple of points you wish to bring up during your phone call.
• Unfortunately the show may not always be able to take your call. If this is the case, consider trying again another day.
• Try to call when the presenter is seeking talkback calls about a topic related to dementia such as health or ageing.
• Radio programs will regularly interview political candidates during election times. This is often a perfect time to call as you may have the opportunity to discuss dementia with a candidate live-on-air.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper

Writing a letter to your local newspaper is another good way to bring attention to dementia. Most local newspaper’s have a letter to the editor submission form on their website that steps you through the process.

Contact your parliamentary representative

You can find federal parliamentarian information and contact details by searching the Parliament of Australia website.

State and territory Members of Parliament and their contact details can be found by searching the relevant state and territory parliament websites:

New South Wales (NSW)
Victoria (VIC)
Queensland (QLD)
Tasmania (TAS)
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
South Australia (SA)
Western Australia (WA)
Northern Territory (NT)

During an election campaign candidate details are listed on the relevant federal, state and territory electoral commission websites.

Send them a message on social media

Send a short message on social media to your local Federal Member of Parliament, Senator or political candidate explaining why dementia is important to you.

Sample social media message

Hi, my name is [Insert name], I am one of your electorate members and I have been impacted by dementia.
[Insert 1-2 sentences about how you have been impacted by dementia]

What steps will you take to ensure that people impacted by dementia receive the care and support they need?

Write a letter or send them an email

Use our template letter/email to contact your Member of Parliament, Senator or political candidate.

Please consider personalising the text provided. If you have been impacted by dementia don’t forget to include that.

Make a call to a MP or Senator electoral office

Consider calling your local Member of Parliament, Senator or local candidate to talk about dementia. When calling have a clear idea of what topics and issues you would like to raise. If you are unable to speak with them directly, you can leave a message with one of their staff members and send them a follow-up email or letter.

Sample script

Hi, my name is [Insert name], I am one of your electorate members and I have been impacted by dementia. Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians and provisional data is showing dementia will soon likely be the leading cause of death.

Q: How is planning for the increasing prevalence of dementia factored into your policy platform?

Q: What steps will you take to ensure that people impacted by dementia receive the care and support they need?

Q: Are you a Dementia Friend? If not, let me show you how

Q: With 70 per cent of people living with dementia living in the community, do you seek out people with a lived experience of dementia to include them in your events and community consultations?

Request a meeting

Phone or email your Member of Parliament, Senator or local candidate to request a meeting. Politicians can be busy people, but even if you don’t get a time to see them, leave or send a detailed message for staff to communicate to them. This helps raise awareness of dementia in the community and that it is an issue of importance to electorate members.

Attend scheduled community events where you might have the opportunity to ask them a question

All candidates are everywhere during election periods. Check your candidates’ website or social media page for any events they might be attending locally.

You might also see them at the local supermarket, train station, or they may even come to your door. This is a great opportunity to raise the issue of dementia in your community.

Be prepared with your ‘elevator pitch’. This means be prepared to speak about what matters to you most in a concise manner. You might not have much time with them. A good approach is to have your top three points clear in your mind or even written on a piece of paper to keep in your bag or wallet.

Sample script

Hi, my name is [Insert name], I am one of your electorate members and I have been impacted by dementia. Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians and provisional data is showing dementia will soon likely be the leading cause of death.

Q: How is planning for the increasing prevalence of dementia factored into your policy platform?

Q: What steps will you take to ensure that people impacted by dementia receive the care and support they need?

Make sure you are enrolled to vote

You can check if you are enrolled at aec.gov.au/enrol/

Follow up with Dementia Australia

Thank you for taking action and calling on your local Member of Parliament, Senator or political candidate to address the needs of those living with and affected by dementia.

After you have made contact with them please do not hesitate to contact us at DementiaAustraliamedia@dementia.org.au. Let us know how your conversation went and if you would like any further guidance.

Interested in doing more?