Steps forward – but still a long way to go for sector!
Our Chief Executive Catherine Hall contemplates the highs and lows of the year that was for people living with dementia mate wareware and their whānau
The much talked about Christmas break is around the corner and I have mixed feelings about what this last year has meant for people and their whānau living with dementia mate wareware in Aotearoa New Zealand.
From a national perspective, the star of the show was the work we did with our kaitiaki partners to refresh and update the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan 2026 – 2031 and present it to the Associate Minister of Health Hon. Casey Costello at our Summit in September. The plan outlines the five immediate priority areas to address the dementia mate wareware challenge over the coming five years.
I was delighted with the positive feedback we’ve received following the Summit, which highlighted the importance of the lived experience voice. The voice of people living with dementia mate wareware shape our decisions – something we emphasised when we launched our new strategy at the start of this year. So, it was great to see this take centre stage at our event.
While at the Summit, we also released alarming new research that we commissioned through the University of Auckland. The research shows three people develop dementia mate wareware every hour in 2025 – more than 500 new cases each week!
Since then, Minister of Health Hon. Simeon Brown and Minister Costello have announced the Ministerial Advisory Group and we’re expecting an announcement about the membership of that group and the Terms of Reference any day. We hope this Group can shift the dial on the structural and funding changes the sector so urgently needs.
The release of Alzheimer’s Disease International the World Alzheimer Report 2025 on rehabilitation has evidence-based insights that draw attention to the growing understanding about the need to focus on rehabilitation.
Work on biomarkers and disease modifying treatments continues to gain momentum and I remain cautiously optimistic about where we can go in future.
While these changes feel like progress there is still a long way to go before people living with dementia mate wareware and their whānau see any tangible change.
Tens of thousands of whānau are still missing out on vital services because of the lack of funding for core services – services local Alzheimers and dementia organisations work hard to provide day in and day out.
As we continue to move towards the pressures of Christmas, we must be mindful this can be a particularly difficult time of year for whānau.
We have shared some tips to help navigate through the holiday season but what we need to remember is the most important thing that anyone can do is stay connected to each other.
Loneliness can be a major factor over the Christmas season for many people. So, if you know someone living with dementia mate wareware this holiday season, please make a special effort to get in touch with them.
I am hopeful that the next year – particularly with the general election – will continue to build on the momentum of 2025. And we will do nothing but put our best foot forward to help make that happen!