Two-thirds of people living with dementia are currently living at home, and want to stay there.

Supporting this choice isn’t just about respecting individual preferences – keeping people living well at home for longer can serve to ease pressure on a strained aged care system.

This is the thinking behind a new program – Living Well – that we’ve developed in partnership with Woodbridge Retirement Village.

Underpinned by research, the pilot aims to keep people living at home longer by proactively supporting good brain health. We chose to start in the retirement living space, where a significant proportion of residents are either already living with dementia or will develop it.

Changes in the brain linked to dementia often begin years before diagnosis, before symptoms like cognitive decline begin to show. We know that focusing on modifiable lifestyle factors can influence our risk of developing dementia.

Dementia risk is shaped by how we live, not just how we age

While age is the strongest risk factor for dementia, many others come into play. Living Well teaches residents at Woodbridge how small lifestyle changes can reap positive benefits for brain health. Run by a dementia consultant, the program consists of evidence-based education and activities designed to support a healthy brain.

These might be good nutrition in the form of a Mediterranean diet, walking groups for physical wellness and social connection, sparking creativity through art and music or ways to achieve better sleep habits.

Dedicated onsite dementia expert

For people experiencing some form of cognitive decline, our dementia consultant works with staff to identify changes in behaviour that may impact the ability to live independently, and liaises with external service providers and healthcare teams to ensure access to the right support at the right time.

Our goal is to demonstrate that a proactive approach to brain health can keep people living independently as long as possible, including reducing hospital admissions or delaying entry into residential aged care.

People taking part in the program enjoy many other benefits – from increased physical and mental wellbeing and enjoying greater social connection, to creative expression through art and music and improved mood. Together these result in meaningful enhancements to quality of life – for all residents, not just those living with dementia.

We will present the initial findings from this research pilot together with Paul Thorne from Woodbridge, in concurrent stream C on day 2 at the International Dementia Conference 2026, showing that holistic, proactive interventions such as these can make a tangible difference for older people living independently.

Get in touch below to enquire about how we partner across aged care to provide wraparound dementia support and education to the aged care sector.