With Australia's ageing population, the country now has about 400,000 people suffering dementia.
But the government projects the number of Australians over age 65 to more than double by 2055, and Alzheimer's Australia says the number of sufferers could surpass a million by then.
And while the disease currently costs Australia $14 billion a year, a new report by Alzheimer's Australia says that figure is expected to balloon to $36 billion over the next 40 years.
Alzheimer's Australia's New South Wales chief executive, John Watkins, says 20 per cent of dementia sufferers come from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
And when it hits people in multicultural communities, he says, it brings extra issues with it.
"And that adds a whole other burden. As someone with dementia ages, they quite often lose their second language, so they may revert to their first language, which may cause real difficulties within a family unit, and certainly if you get into residential aged care or a nursing home."
And Mr Watkins says Indigenous people are three to five times more likely to develop dementia than non-Indigenous people.
"And when many of them are living outside of the major cities, they have the added burden, as everyone living in rural and regional Australia has, of not having the same access to services. So that's a worry."
The issue creates huge stress for any family.
When Pauline and David Doig retired seven years ago in Sydney, the dreams of a European adventure were finally about to come true - until he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Pauline Doig was forced to become her husband's full-time carer.
"Things that David used to do quite easily, at times, especially when he's tired, that doesn't happen now. Just even emptying the dishwasher now is a big job for David, but I still leave him the cutlery basket. I try to keep giving David things to do. I think you've got to keep them busy."
Simple tasks may now be a daily struggle, but, after 50 years of marriage, three children and 10 grandchildren, the laughter has never faded.
David Doig maintains a wry sense of humour about his condition.
"It's pretty good, because it's the sort of thing where I drive everybody else crazy but I don't sort of bother myself."
John Watkins points to measures people can take to lessen the prospect of developing dementia.
"Doing physical exercise, not smoking, not drinking to excess, not being obese, eating the right food, being socially and mentally involved. If you do these things in your forties, fifties and sixties, you can slow the onset of dementia or hopefully prevent it."
Alzheimer's Australia is pushing for a fully funded national strategy to provide better care and awareness of people living with dementia.
