Dr Kathy Peri reflects on her time at Alzheimers NZ as Director of the Dementia Learning Centre – from its inception four years ago to how it’s grown today. The Dementia Learning Centre is our hub of excellence for dementia mate wareware education. The kaupapa of the centre is based around people, and the right we all have to feel supported, valued…

The link between hearing loss and dementia mate wareware is significant. Audika’s Ben de Farias joins our podcast to delve deeper into why looking after your hearing is another important piece of the puzzle for ageing well. Audika is the only hearing provider in Aotearoa New Zealand which is currently Dementia Friendly Accredited – well done! We al…

Dementia Mate Wareware Leadership and Advisory Group Co-Chairs Dr Makarena Dudley and Teresa Wall join Alzheimers NZ Chief Executive Catherine Hall to discuss the group’s important role in the Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem. The group was established in 2022 to provide strategic advice to guide government on how Aotearoa New Zealand sh…

A new initiative to support Chinese New Zealanders living with dementia mate wareware and their care partners by raising awareness and providing education specific to the community is now up and running. The University of Auckland’s Associate Professor Gary Cheung shares more about his latest project in collaboration with Dementia Auckland and othe…

There are 12 proven lifestyle factors that, if modified, can reduce the risk of a person developing dementia mate wareware. University of Auckland’s Dr Etu Ma’u and Professor Lynette Tippett share more about risk reduction, following the release of the World Alzheimer Report 2023 in September.By Alzheimers NZ

Continence can be one of those subjects no one wants to talk about, and there are many reasons why someone with dementia mate wareware can become incontinent. Principal Advisor Services and Standards Lyneta Russell is joined by Dr Anna Lawrence and Liz Childs, of Continence NZ, in our latest podcast. They discuss different strategies which can be p…

Let’s chat about... is our podcast series which gives experts working in dementia mate wareware across Aotearoa New Zealand an opportunity to chat about a topic and share some of the evidence available. We’re joined by Summerset’s Programme Lead – Therapeutic Recreation Orquidea Tamoyo Mortera in this episode, to chat about how engaging people in r…

Dementia Friendly Advisor Dr Meg Spriggs is joined by of the University of Auckland’s Dr Brigid Ryan to learn more about Young Onset Dementia, as we mark World Alzheimers Month 2023.By Alzheimers NZ

Let’s chat about... is our podcast series which gives experts working in dementia mate wareware across Aotearoa New Zealand an opportunity to chat about a topic and share some of the evidence available. In this episode, we’re joined by Annabel Grant, a Speech Language Therapist working at Massey University to chat about a few simple strategies to h…

Let’s chat about... is our podcast series which gives experts working in dementia mate wareware across Aotearoa New Zealand an opportunity to chat about a topic and share some of the evidence available. In this episode, we’re joined by Summerset's Dementia Specialist Shelley Kennedy to chat about a common phrase said by people living with dementia …

Let’s chat about... is our podcast series which gives experts working in dementia mate wareware across Aotearoa New Zealand an opportunity to chat about a topic and share some of the evidence available. In this episode, we’re joined by Ryman Healthcare Dementia Project Specialist Caroline Bartle and chatting about Personhood and why this is importa…

Feeling overwhelmed by all the election coverage? Join Alzheimers NZ Chief Executive Catherine Hall and Media Advisor Daniel Paul to explore why working closely with Government is crucial for people and whānau living with dementia mate wareware in the lead up to the 2023 General Election. We delve into how we work with Government, why it’s importan…

Dementia Learning Centre director Dr Kathy Peri is joined by Dr Makarena Dudley and Dr Gary Cheung, of the University of Auckland, to learn more about our brains – just in time for Brain Awareness Month. The experts explore the latest research, the effect of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) and what people can do to help keep their brains health…

Our frontline services are at breaking point. More funding is desperately needed to help people and whānau living with dementia mate wareware in Aotearoa New Zealand get the support they need. Government has already indicated their support with the implementation of the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan, and their support for healthy ageing in Te …

Join Dr Etu Ma’u to explore the reality of post-diagnostic care in Aotearoa, following the release of the World Alzheimer Report 2022. Dr Ma’u highlights the need for more support – particularly for ethnic communities – throughout a person’s life. Dr Etu Ma’u is a senior lecturer at Auckland University, and a specialist old age psychiatrist at Waik…

The World Alzheimer Report 2022 highlights some of the challenges the sector is facing globally. There is a focus on the urgent need for significant improvements to essential post-diagnosis treatment, care, and support services. Adrienne Henderson and Tanya Lyders, who are both supporting their husbands, shared their stories with Alzheimers NZ to h…

With Covid restrictions easing and the virus not disappearing any time soon, what does the future hold for our older and more vulnerable communities? Here to talk to us is Dr Ngaire Kerse (NZOM), the inaugural Joyce Cook Chair in Aging Well at the University of Auckland, and a GP at the City Mission. She has looked after many people with dementia i…

Dementia consistently ranks as one of our most feared conditions. There is currently no cure for dementia, though researchers around the world are desperately searching for one. So why is it proving so hard? And how do we balance this with the urgent need for more care and support for people living with dementia today? Here to talk us through these…

It's been a tough couple of weeks as more and more of us become affected by Covid-19. The numbers of people testing positive for the virus are rising steadily every day. There can be no doubt that contracting Covid is a difficult experience for everyone. But what happens when you are also living with or supporting someone with dementia? In this epi…

Dementia mate wareware is one of the greatest health challenges facing Aotearoa New Zealand. Around 70,000 New Zealanders live with dementia right now, which is set to more than double by 2050. This increase is expected to be much faster for Māori, Pasifika and Asian communities. In September, Alzheimers NZ launched the Dementia Economic Impact Rep…

Champion for Dementia Dame Kerry Prendergast discusses how dementia has impacted her life, and what needs to be done to better prepare New Zealand for the sharp increase in people living with dementia. Both her parents lived with dementia, and her husband Rex has recently been diagnosed with vascular dementia.…

Communication can be a big challenge for people living with dementia. As the journey of dementia progresses, people can find it more and more difficult to express themselves clearly, and to understand what others say. But as we all know, there’s much more to communication than just words. As a Champion for Dementia and writer, Kate De Goldi knows f…

People living with dementia face enormous challenges, not least of which is their right to make the decisions that are important to them. In this episode, we talk to Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero about ways we can better support the rights of people living with dementia. As New Zealand’s Disability Rights Commissioner, Paula’s role…

In 2019, Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and Heritage became Aotearoa New Zealand’s very first dementia friendly museum. Te Manawa achieved this accreditation through Alzheimers NZ’s Dementia Friendly Recognition Programme. They are amongst a growing list of Kiwi businesses and organisations who are taking this positive step. Janet Ellery leads Te…

A recent international report has found that dementia design is 30 years behind the physical disabilities movement. The World Alzheimer Report 2020, released by Alzheimers Disease International, calls on governments around the world to take action, and include design solutions in their responses to dementia. Dementia is a disability, one that is go…

Presenter: Lyneta Russell Guests: Alison Douglass, Greg Young and John McMillan The book, Assessment of Mental Capacity: A guide for Doctors and lawyers, can be found here: https://vup.victoria.ac.nz/assessment-of-mental-capacity-a-new-zealand-guide-for-doctors-and-lawyers/By Alzheimers NZ

Dr Makarena Dudley is a senior lecturer at Auckland University, and recipient of this year’s Alzheimers NZ Research Fellowship. One of only four Māori neuropsychologists in the country, Dr Dudley is investigating the interface of dementia and Māori. Her studies include developing a screening tool for detecting dementia in Māori and a theory of deme…

Kate De Goldi's blog series: Part 1 Part 2By Alzheimers NZ

Dementia affects almost four out of five of us in some way. By 2050 it will cost the country nearly $5 billion a year. Astonishingly, and despite these sad facts, there is no concrete government action plan on the horizon to deal with this urgent and growing health care challenge, a challenge that has been further exposed by Covid-19. Covid-19 has …