Still some way to go for dementia mate wareware more than a decade on

As you’d expect, since my decision to resign I’ve taken the opportunity to reflect on my time at Alzheimers NZ so the past few months have been poignant.

As most of you know, I’m incredibly passionate about this work. Partly because I’ve been in and out of the sector in one way or another for my whole career – my first job was cleaning in a rest home at 14, and then in different ways during my years as a nurse, manager, commissioner amongst others.

Partly because like many others I have lived experience with dementia – my mother, father and aunt all lived with dementia mate wareware which has kept this work close to my heart.

And partly because this work is so important and so desperately needed.

On one hand, I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved together to create a strong platform to make meaningful change for people living with dementia mate wareware and their whānau.

The core of that work has been the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan and the DEIR. Together with the work we’ve done with Dementia NZ to make a case for fair funding of local services (our service delivery model, business case and national data set).

The lived experience voice has been central to all that work. Thank you to everyone along the way who has so generous with their time and willing to give their voice to the cause. It’s not always easy sharing your story and this has been vital to drive our work.

Our Conferences have also played their part to bring the sector together and keep driving our thinking forward.

On the other hand, we can never forget that it is only harder now to get help then it was 10 years ago. There are many more people that are struggling – and this struggle is only set to get worse if Government continues to fail to act.

And for that reason our focus this year has been on the 2026 General Election and advocating for the incoming government to commit to material action on dementia through our three asks.

We’ve only been able do what we have done because we keep demonstrating that as a sector we’re able to work together for a common goal. So thank you, it’s been a privilege to work with so many equally passionate people.

I will continue to watch the sector with interest and will be in the background supporting our upcoming pre-election political panel and conference in September – I do hope you’ll join us.

Until then, thank you to everybody who is relentlessly supporting the cause so that people living with dementia mate wareware are heard, valued and supported.

Ko te mutunga o tēnei haerenga, ko te tīmatanga o tētahi haerenga anō. The end of this journey is the start of another.