AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young in nursing home for dementia

Legendary AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young is being treated for dementia in a Sydney nursing home following the announcement of his retirement from the rock band earlier this week.

Sources close to the Young family told Fairfax the founding member of the band has been moved into a nursing home facility in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

The nursing home is believed to be Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay, home to another Australian legend from the 1970s, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

A source close to the family said: "If you were in the room with [Malcolm Young] and walked out then came back in one minute later he wouldn't remember who you are. He has a complete loss of short term memory. His wife Linda has put him in full-time care."

Throughout their career that spanned four decades, AC/DC remained one of the biggest rock bands in the world and one of Australia's most successful musical exports.

As rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the band, Young has influenced the Australian music scene even till today, paving the way for many other rock acts.

The 61-year-old's retirement from the band was expected after it was announced he would not be playing on the band's next studio album Rock or Bust, but the news still shocked many fans.

The announcement came in April and was attributed to an undisclosed illness.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Author: Nicholas McCallum, Approving editor: Simon Black