Filipino nursing network launches dementia knowledge hub for Filipino families in South Western Sydney

The Filipino Nursing Diaspora Network has launched the Filipino Dementia Knowledge Hub for Filipino families in South Western Sydney, funded through a Dementia Australia community engagement grant, The Philippine Times reported on 19 October.

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The Filipino Nursing Diaspora Network (FiND) has launched the Filipino Dementia Knowledge Hub, an initiative focused on the realities of Filipino families living in South Western Sydney, The Philippine Times reported on 19 October. The network secured funding for it through Dementia Australia's Dementia-Friendly Communities Community Engagement Program.

According to The Philippine Times, the Hub is in a co-design phase. Organisers are working with people living with dementia, family carers and local community members on language preferences, cultural values around caregiving and the barriers that can stop families from using existing services.

The report said the Hub aims to address stigma and misconceptions about dementia, including a reluctance to talk openly about cognitive decline, pressure around family-led care and social isolation. It is designing a judgment-free space where people can share stories, ask questions and connect with peers.

Health professionals, local organisations and people with lived experience are invited to help by connecting families affected by younger-onset dementia to the network, sharing project information and identifying service gaps. People who want to join the co-design work can contact the Hub through Dr Maria Mares at Maria.Mares@westernsydney.edu.au.

FiND's website says the network was founded by a small group of Filipino nurse leaders from Australia, Singapore, the USA and Saudi Arabia, and began with a roundtable meeting at the Australian Catholic University's North Sydney campus.