From personal loss to national leadership: Henry Brodaty's lifelong commitment to dementia care
07 Aug 2026
Now serving as the 2026 Senior Australian of the Year, the psychiatrist and researcher reflects on the experiences that shaped his work and the important role GPs continue to play in supporting people living with dementia and their families.
Professor Brodaty's journey began in the 1970s while travelling through Europe after completing his physician exams. During his time overseas, he received news that his father's Alzheimer's disease had worsened, making it increasingly difficult for his mother to manage his care. He returned to Sydney to support his family and complete his psychiatry training.
His father, Jacob Brodaty, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at just 52 years of age. At that time, support services for people living with dementia and their carers were extremely limited. Professor Brodaty remembers how few options were available for families and recalls the emotional impact of seeing his father's condition progress.
Jacob Brodaty died in 1979 at the age of 59. The experience deeply affected Professor Brodaty and became the driving force behind his commitment to dementia care, research and advocacy.
As his psychiatry career developed, he began treating more people with dementia. Inspired by an Alzheimer's organisation in the United States, he worked with others to establish a similar movement in Australia. A public meeting held in Sydney in 1982 attracted hundreds of attendees and helped lay the foundations for what later became Dementia Australia.
Professor Brodaty also led research focused on supporting carers. While working at Prince Henry Hospital, he helped develop a 10-day residential education program for people living with dementia and their carers. The program reduced caregiver stress and, over several years of follow-up, was associated with fewer admissions to residential aged care.
General practice has remained an important part of his career. Before specialising in psychiatry, Professor Brodaty worked as a locum GP in Sydney. He also completed research into brief psychotherapy programs designed for use in general practice, reinforcing the valuable role GPs play in delivering mental health care.
Today, Professor Brodaty continues to advocate for earlier recognition of dementia, better support for carers and stronger collaboration between specialist services and general practice to improve care for Australians living with dementia.
From personal loss to national leadership: Henry Brodaty's lifelong commitment to dementia care
Source: RACGP newsGP