Young-onset dementia: Not the same as late-onset dementia-highlighting the differences in diagnosis, care, treatment, and models of care

The rising prevalence of dementia includes an increase in people with young-onset dementia (YOD) (Hendriks et al., 2021). YOD is a growing public health concern often overshadowed by its moreprevalent and well-known late-onset dementia (LOD) counterpart. YOD refers to a dementia where the first symptom onset occurs when the person is less than 65 years of age. Though less commonthanLOD,YODisoftenmorechallenging to diagnose and manage due to its heterogeneous presentation (Koedam et al., 2009). Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, with up to five years delay, remain major hurdles (Draper et al., 2016;Loiet al., 2022; van Vliet et al., 2013). Additionally, the psychosocial, medical, and policy implications of YOD are distinct from LODs in many ways. Existing support systems for people with dementia are designed for, and predominantly delivered to, older populations. These often fail to meet the specific needs of younger individuals and their families, whose unique challenges necessitate focused effort. In the Oceanic context, a recent paper led by editors Goh, Cations, and Velakoulis highlighted the importance of addressing the specific issues in the YOD population (Cations et al., 2021) and outlined pressing priorities for research, policy, service, and advocacy with significant potential to improve outcomes for people with YOD and their care partners and families.