Dementia mate wareware myths busted at Fieldays 2024

If you were one of the 124 people who disagreed with the statement ‘dementia is a normal part of ageing’ at Fieldays this year – you were correct!

Fieldays was held from 12 June to 15 June at Mystery Creek, Hamilton. This is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event and was attended by 106,000 people in 2024.

The joint Alzheimers NZ and Dementia NZ stand was part of the Hauora Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub, supported by Mobile Health.

We challenged people’s knowledge about dementia mate wareware and brain health with our true or false challenge.

Alzheimers NZ Dementia Learning Centre Advisor Ellen Bragger says the event was a chance to get people talking about brain health and risk reduction – the things people can do now to help keep their brain healthy as they age.

“Presenting some common myths as a true or false challenge was a really great way to encourage people to have a conversation with us about their brain health,” says Ellen.

“What you do in your thirties, forties and fifties has an impact on how your brain ages.”

Dementia Waikato Senior Dementia Advisor Janine Appleby says we should be doing everything we can to look after our brains in the same way we’d take care of the rest of our bodies.

“There are some really simple ways people can keep their brain healthy that will help reduce the risk of dementia like looking after your heart or getting your hearing checked,” she says.

“There is a lot of stigma around a diagnosis so these conversations are important to educate and inform people we may not always be able to reach.”

If you or somebody you know needs more support reach out to your local Alzheimers or Dementia organisation.

Caption: Dementia Waikato Senior Dementia Advisor Janine Appleby and Alzheimers NZ Dementia Learning Centre Advisor Ellen Bragger getting ready for the event