The city is one of 12 locations across Victoria, South Australia and NSW involved in the Virtual Dementia Friendly Rural Communities project, known as Verily Connect.

The program uses a smartphone app, website and videoconferencing to help connect people caring for those with memory loss and dementia. The aim is for this online support community to help reduce challenges such as distance and isolation.

To complement the online technology, trained volunteers in each location will provide support.

Warracknabeal and Edenhope are also part of the project, with researchers visiting Warracknabeal in July for the Verily Connect launch.

The program – which La Trobe University has spearheaded – started in Horsham on Monday.

Principal Verily Connect investigator Irene Blackberry said the project aimed to help overcome challenges people in rural communities faced when it came to accessing support services.

“Caring is a vital role that can be both joyful and demanding. We know that when carers are well supported, they are more able to manage any stresses arising from their caring role,” she said.

“By creating a virtual dementia friendly rural community, we can eliminate geographical isolation and potentially reduce the need for expensive and disruptive residential care or multiple acute care admissions for people living with dementia.”

The federal government has invested $1.7 million into the program, which Swinburne University, Flinders University, University of Newcastle, and Canada’s University of Saskatchewan are also part of.

Member for Mallee Andrew Broad said Verily Connect was an exciting example of how technology could be harnessed to help humanity.

“We know how hard our local carers work, and this is about reducing the challenges of distance and isolation, linking carers and helping them continue delivering critical support to some of our most vulnerable and treasured citizens,” he said.

Mr Broad said that with more than 425,000 Australians living with dementia, the work of carers – especially those in regional areas – was critical.

“Verily Connect is about supporting the many seniors who rightly want to age in our local communities,” he said.

La Trobe University is calling for Wimmera program participants. Researchers said people could visit verilyconnect.org.au/ to register for the program.

Verily Connect will run until June next year.