Gympie Dementia Friendly Alliance

💜 THANK YOU, GYMPIE! 💜

A huge thank you to everyone who came along today to support the Gympie Dementia Friendly Alliance and our Dementia Action Week walk.

It was wonderful to see so many members of our community come together to show their support for people living with dementia, their families, friends and the many people who provide care every day. 💜

Your presence sends a simple but powerful message — Gympie cares, Gympie supports, and Gympie is committed to being a dementia-friendly community.

And the statistics show just how important this is:

🧠 An estimated 446,500 Australians are living with dementia in 2026.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Around 1.7 million Australians are involved in caring for someone living with dementia.

🏡 Around two-thirds of people living with dementia live in the community, making dementia-friendly communities incredibly important.

📍 Here in the Gympie region, an estimated 1,248 people are living with dementia in 2026, with that number projected to reach around 2,267 by 2054. (Dementia Australia⁠)

Dementia affects people of all ages and touches far more families and individuals than many of us realise.

That’s why events like today matter. Starting conversations, reducing stigma, showing understanding and making our community more inclusive can make a real difference.

Thank you to everyone who walked, supported, encouraged, shared, volunteered or simply took the time to be part of today. 💜

Together, we can continue working towards a more understanding, inclusive and dementia-friendly Gympie.

💜 ON TOMORROW! 💜

Join us for our Dementia Walk as we come together to show our support for people living with dementia, their carers, families and friends.

📍 Meet in Memorial Lane at 10.15am
🚶‍♀️ Walk begins at 10.30am

Everyone is welcome! 💜

Let’s take small steps together towards a more dementia-friendly Gympie.

💜 DEMENTIA WALK – TOGETHER FOR A DEMENTIA FRIENDLY GYMPIE 💜

As part of Dementia Action Week, the Gympie Dementia Friendly Alliance invites families, carers, friends, community members and people living with dementia to join us for a friendly awareness walk along Mary Street. 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️

Together, we’ll showcase our dementia-friendly community, raise awareness and show our support for people living with dementia and those who care for and support them. 💜

📅 Tuesday, 22nd September
🕙 Meet at 10.15am
🚶 Walk commences at 10.30am
📍 Starting point: Park end of Memorial Lane, Reef Street end

We’ll walk up Mary Street, cross at the Post Office and finish at the Gympie Gold City Centre Stage, where we’ll take a moment to chat, connect and show our support.

🌸 Everyone is welcome! Every step helps build a more understanding, inclusive and dementia-friendly Gympie.

💜 Walk. Support. Connect.

Gympie Regional Libraries supports older residents with new dementia-friendly resources.

What a wonderful idea ❤️‍🩹

Library staff, Alex and Lisa with Cindy from the Gympie and Surrounds Dementia-Friendly Alliance are excited about a great new resource that is now available at Gympie Regional Libraries.
🧠 Active Minds kits have been developed to support older Australians experiencing memory changes, early-stage dementia, or cognitive decline. The kits are designed to provide meaningful cognitive stimulation, encourage social connection, and promote wellbeing, while also offering engaging activities for anyone who wishes to stay mentally active and connected.
Active Minds kits are available for loan now, one per borrower for 3 weeks and can be borrowed at all our libraries.

💜 Caring for Carers – 2026 Meeting Dates for the rest of the year 💜

If you’re caring for someone living with dementia, remember that you don’t have to do it alone.

The Gympie Dementia Friendly Alliance invites carers to join our Caring for Carers support meetings – a welcoming and understanding space where you can connect with others, share experiences, access helpful information and take some time for yourself.

📅 Remaining 2026 Meeting Dates:
🗓 Monday 3 August
🗓 Monday 7 September
🗓 Tuesday 6 October
🗓 Monday 2 November
🗓 Monday 7 December

🕙 Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍 Venue: Gympie Community Place, 18 Excelsior Rd, Gympie

Proudly supported by Gympie’s own Cooloola Human Services Network (CHSN).

For more information, please contact Penny on 0499 314 602.

Together, we can make Gympie a more dementia-friendly community—one conversation, one connection and one caring moment at a time. 💜

❤️‍🩹

Every family with a loved one living with dementia, autism, or another cognitive condition knows the fear - that moment you realise someone vulnerable has wandered from home.

Within the first hour, the search radius expands greatly. Acting quickly can significantly improve the chances of locating them safely.

That’s why services like Safe & Found exist. By sharing important information in advance, police can respond faster, reduce search times, and improve outcomes. For more information on Safe & Found visit: https://www.police.qld.gov.au/initiatives/safe-found-lifeline-families

❤️‍🩹

Dementia Australia Dementia Australia is the national peak body providing information, advice and support to the more than 446,500 Australians living with dementia, their families and carers.

The missing gentleman has been found ❤️‍🩹

Good news! The man reported missing from Chatsworth yesterday has been located safe and well.

Police would like to thank the media and community for their assistance.

Read more: https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2026/06/02/missing-man-gympie-4/

A reminder to our existing guests and new people yet to connect - this event is on Monday morning ❤️‍🩹