It might seem surprising, but dementia is the leading cause of death for women, a statistic being highlighted during Dementia Action Week, which runs until September 22.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District's aged care nurse practitioner, Danielle Kennedy, said people should reflect on how they behave to, and speak to someone with dementia.

"It's not the illness we should be focused on, it should be on the person," she said.

"We are trying to change the language and looking at it less negatively. It's about the message of let's focus on what we can do to help."

Ms Kennedy said the theme is 'Dementia doesn't discriminate. Do you?'. The aim is to challenge Australians to think about how their words and actions impact on the everyday life of a person living with dementia.

Wagga's Memory Cafe helps to care for the carers of people with dementia and provide a social outing.

Margaret Jones is one of the volunteers that helps out at the event, and she previously worked in the aged care industry for 30 years.

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"I interact with the carers and the people with memory loss, and playing games with them," she said.

Ms Jones also helped to care for her mother-in-law with Alzheimer's and said anyone dealing with someone facing memory loss must be patient, despite how tough it gets.

Ms Kennedy said she is in the process of trying to organise a forum in November to connect carers and providers.

"There is a lot of carers that are informal, non-paid carers," she said.

"It's looking at what community spirit we can build in Wagga and surrounds.

"We want people to know what is available and what support there is, and just getting a dementia-friendly environment out there."

Residents can also take part in a national survey online at Dementia Australia.