Reflections on 2019

These words come to you straight from the Dementia Declaration, He whakapuaki mō te mate wareware. The Declaration is the result of people living with dementia coming together to tell us what they need to live well.

The starting point for that will always be having access to the same rights, privileges and obligations as everyone else. It should underpin everything we do to support people with dementia, but time and time again, we see this being ignored.

Launched earlier this year, the Dementia Declaration is just one of the ways we have been fighting to make dementia top of mind.

Our philosophy at Alzheimers NZ goes something like this – be ambitious and remember that nothing ventured, nothing gained. We set ourselves quite a challenge this year and are so encouraged by the progress that has been made across the country.

At the Beehive
We now have a draft NZ Dementia Action Plan which was prepared by Alzheimers NZ and other leaders in the sector. The Plan is out now for public consultation and I would encourage you all to have your say by reading the Plan and completing our short survey before 31st January 2020.

The Plan will then be finalised and presented to Ministers for their consideration. It is a welcome step forward from the Framework for Dementia Care, which has been in place since 2013 but never fully implemented. Until then, the fact remains, people living with dementia are being let down by the system. This has got to change.

In September, we took to the streets of Wellington for the Memory Walk to Parliament. There, we were met by MP and convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of Dementia group, Michael Wood, who acknowledged: “There is a lack, sometimes, of focus on the whole person and their rights to contribute and participate in our society…there is much work to do.”

With our feet back under the desk, we continue to make regular policy submissions to ensure the voices of people with dementia and their care partners are heard at the Beehive.

In our communities
In May, we launched the findings of some landmark research into the lived experience of dementia. This involved going out into communities across the country to conduct extensive interviews with people living with dementia and their care partners.

The report was made possible by the willingness of 49 strong and courageous people to describe the joy and challenges of their lives. It is a privileged, first-hand account of what it’s like to live with dementia in New Zealand today and I would recommend you take a moment and sit down with a cuppa and read the report.

I am also pleased to see that almost 6,000 New Zealanders are now Dementia Friends. These are people who have taken a moment out of their day to complete our short, online programme to learn more about dementia and ways to help. If you haven’t joined them yet, click here to do so (it only takes 20 minutes).

With local Alzheimers organisations around the country, we continue to provide practical resources to support people with dementia and their families and whānau, and through our information resources for the dementia sector.

Around the world
Over a thousand New Zealanders took part in the world’s largest global survey on attitudes to dementia. The findings, published in this year’s World Alzheimer Report, tells us that while many people are afraid of developing dementia, the true understanding of the disease is low. These findings are worrying but not surprising, and are further proof that there is still so much work to be done to combat the stigma faced by people affected by dementia here in New Zealand as well as around the world.

During World Alzheimers Month
The eighth annual World Alzheimers Month campaign took place in September and we were thrilled to kick things off by announcing a new partnership with Ryman Healthcare, focusing on combating stigma and improving understanding and acceptance. During September, a whole host of activities took place to make dementia top of mind, from Memory Walks, to Wear Purple and Cuppa for a Cause events.

In the research lab
Dr Andrea Kwakowsky, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland, became the inaugural recipient of the Alzheimers NZ Fellowship. Andrea has been researching dementia since 2012, looking at the molecular, cellular and cognitive basis of brain function during ageing, and is passionate about facilitating direct interaction between researchers and community. Watch this space for news about the 2020 Fellowship Award.

Thank you
As always, none of this could have been done without the support of our team, Board, local Alzheimers organisations, volunteers, Dementia Friends, Champions for Dementia and our extremely generous donors and supporters. So, a massive thank you to all.

Now it’s time to wrap up the year, take a break and recharge over the holidays, before we get underway with our equally ambitious 2020 plan. And we do hope to see you at our Conference, which will take place in November.

Rest easy, take care and we will see you all again in January. Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou.

Catherine Hall
Chief Executive, Alzheimers NZ