Dementia: ageing well as an adult with Down syndrome

Dementia: ageing well as an adult with Down syndrome

Online event
Thursday, Mar 26, 2026 from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm AEDT
Overview

People with Down syndrome have a high prevalence for dementia. Come and learn about some of the basics.

People with Down syndrome have a high prevalence for dementia. Come and learn about some of the basics of dementia in our workshop. Plus, discover what we can do now and from the age of 30 to help prevent dementia in people with Down syndrome, and how to help them age well.

In this workshop you will learn:

  • what dementia is, its prevalence and risk factors
  • signs and symptoms
  • pathways for dementia care
  • what you need to be doing at what ages and with which health professionals
  • prevention and brain health.

The workshop will also include a 30-minute Q&A session with Dr Madeleine Healy. So, please bring along all your questions!

This workshop is for adults with Down syndrome, and their families, support workers and carers. Information is relevant for adults from their late-20s upwards.


Presenters

Zoe Shearer, DSV

Zoe is DSV's Health Project Manager. She has worked in the not-for-profit sector for the last 16 years, delivering projects in a wide range of sectors in workforce capacity building. In particular in the last three years Zoe has worked in the health and aged care sectors to build capacity of professionals to work with people with disability and complex support needs and the NDIS to facilitate getting supports to live an ordinary life in the community.

She is passionate about working with communities that facilitates real change founded on social justice, equality and inclusion, as well as ensuring information is targeted, practical and brings about better outcomes for people with disability and those that support them.


Dr Madeleine Healy, Monash Health

Madeleine is a geriatrician and general physician. She has a special interest in supporting people living with dementia and works clinically across Monash Health and HammondCare. She works in memory clinics, acute and subacute services, and also provides clinical support to mental health residential aged care.

She has a strong commitment to the education and training of junior doctors around dementia support, has an adjunct senior lecturer appointment at Monash University. Madeleine is a medical specialist for Dementia Support Australia and is also experienced in clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs in Alzheimer’s disease. Madeleine is undertaking a PhD to improve dementia diagnosis for people with Down syndrome at Monash University.


Funded by the Australian government Department of Social Services. We would also like to thank Dr Madeleine Healy for collaborating on the development of this workshop content.


Down Syndrome Victoria Privacy Statement

People with Down syndrome have a high prevalence for dementia. Come and learn about some of the basics.

People with Down syndrome have a high prevalence for dementia. Come and learn about some of the basics of dementia in our workshop. Plus, discover what we can do now and from the age of 30 to help prevent dementia in people with Down syndrome, and how to help them age well.

In this workshop you will learn:

  • what dementia is, its prevalence and risk factors
  • signs and symptoms
  • pathways for dementia care
  • what you need to be doing at what ages and with which health professionals
  • prevention and brain health.

The workshop will also include a 30-minute Q&A session with Dr Madeleine Healy. So, please bring along all your questions!

This workshop is for adults with Down syndrome, and their families, support workers and carers. Information is relevant for adults from their late-20s upwards.


Presenters

Zoe Shearer, DSV

Zoe is DSV's Health Project Manager. She has worked in the not-for-profit sector for the last 16 years, delivering projects in a wide range of sectors in workforce capacity building. In particular in the last three years Zoe has worked in the health and aged care sectors to build capacity of professionals to work with people with disability and complex support needs and the NDIS to facilitate getting supports to live an ordinary life in the community.

She is passionate about working with communities that facilitates real change founded on social justice, equality and inclusion, as well as ensuring information is targeted, practical and brings about better outcomes for people with disability and those that support them.


Dr Madeleine Healy, Monash Health

Madeleine is a geriatrician and general physician. She has a special interest in supporting people living with dementia and works clinically across Monash Health and HammondCare. She works in memory clinics, acute and subacute services, and also provides clinical support to mental health residential aged care.

She has a strong commitment to the education and training of junior doctors around dementia support, has an adjunct senior lecturer appointment at Monash University. Madeleine is a medical specialist for Dementia Support Australia and is also experienced in clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs in Alzheimer’s disease. Madeleine is undertaking a PhD to improve dementia diagnosis for people with Down syndrome at Monash University.


Funded by the Australian government Department of Social Services. We would also like to thank Dr Madeleine Healy for collaborating on the development of this workshop content.


Down Syndrome Victoria Privacy Statement

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Highlights

  • 1 hour
  • Online

Location

Online event

Organised by
Down Syndrome Victoria
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