Australia's aged care system is failing people with dementia according to a new report.
Alzheimer's Australia held public meetings around the country to assess the quality of dementia care and to encourage sufferers and their carers to tell their stories.
The report says most find the aged care system complicated, inflexible and largely unable to meet their needs.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Families want to keep loved ones living with dementia at home for as long as possible, it says, but the system doesn't provide adequate support and assistance for them to do so.
People also have problems with the diagnosis process.
"My mum has been diagnosed for four years. But, there was something wrong 10 years before that," a carer says in the report.
There are also long waiting times and a lack of transparency in administration costs.
And families say there is a link between the quality of care and workforce issues such as staffing levels, training and pay.
Alzheimer's Australia chief executive Glenn Rees says Australia needs a $500 million war chest to fight the dementia epidemic.
He says money is needed urgently to address barriers to timely diagnosis and to fund dementia behaviour advisory services and research.
There are 280,000 Australians with dementia, with the number set to reach 400,000 within 10 years.
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler says the ball is in the government's court.
"I can't speculate on dollar amounts," he told ABC Television on Monday, in relation to funding.
"(But) I have a very good understanding of the priorities."
He says the government will be responding to the report as soon as possible.
