Robert Irwin has opened up about how difficult it is to see someone succumb to the symptoms of dementia.
Anyone who has helped someone suffering from the disease of the mind will know all too well how sad it can be when they lose their memories and their sense of self.
18-year-old Robert says he's seen that with his grandfather on his mum Terri's side.
He appeared on The Project, where he told the hosts: “I think there’s no-one living who hasn’t encountered someone or has a loved one who has experienced this.
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“I know my grandfather on my mum’s side had a form of dementia and a lot of family friends have had that as well and it’s just, it’s devastating.
“Someone you love, someone you’re close to you see going through that and just not being able to relive and enjoy the moments they had it’s heartbreaking.
“But I guess it just reminds you you’ve got to spend every second with the people you love and really surround yourself with love and light and hopefully this is light at the end of the tunnel for a safe way for people to stop this.”
Dementia is described as 'a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning'.
Seeing a loved one not remember you can be a heartbreaking experience and they can sometimes be disorientated and not know where or who they are.
According to Dementia Australia, there are around half a million Aussies battling the condition in 2022.
In addition to that, there are around 1.6 million people in Australia who are providing help for those dementia sufferers.
It's the second leading cause of death for all Australians and the leading cause of death for Australian women.
The organisation believes the number of people who are living with dementia could skyrocket to more than a million by 2058 if there is no medical breakthrough in the condition.
Dementia Australia says: "Being brain healthy is relevant at any age, whether you are young, old or in between.
"However, it is particularly important once you reach middle age as this is when changes start to occur in the brain.
"While we cannot change getting older, genetics or family history, scientific research suggests that changing certain health and lifestyle habits may make a big difference to reducing or delaying your risk of developing dementia."
Those habits include being healthy and active, stop smoking, manage hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and depression.
Topics: Australia, Robert Irwin
Stewart Perrie