Dementia Learning Centre’s story
30,000 people living with dementia mate wareware in Aotearoa New Zealand are missing out on the help and support they need.
To put that into context, that’s almost the whole population of Gisborne. And those are just the people who are missing out on support.
We expect in Aotearoa New Zealand that if we are unwell, we can access medical and other support. This is not always the case for people living with dementia mate wareware and their care partners.
Alzheimers NZ cannot provide full health services for every person diagnosed with dementia mate wareware. This is a job for the relevant Government services. What we can and do achieve, is one to one support for as many people as we can.
To help fill the gap, one of the things we dedicate our time to is educating people in the health sector, as well as people working in rest homes and the wider public on how to manage the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia, and their families.
Alzheimers NZ has been providing services and support for 38 years and is at the cutting edge of proven education, technology and best practices.
At the forefront of this innovation is our Dementia Learning Centre. The Centre runs Cognitive Stimulation Therapy training, online modules, Virtual Reality Workshops, bespoke training programmes, and more.
Dr Kathy Peri proudly leads the Dementia Learning Centre and explains why the Dementia Learning Centre is so important,
“We want people living with dementia to be treated as well as anybody. And they are not. This is at all levels: the public, health care professionals, and in rest homes.”
“If we get it right at the outset of the journey, then the overall journey will be more successful. There will still be tears, and hard times, but overall it will be more successful.”
Getting it right is the key to the way Alzheimers NZ has approached the Dementia Learning Centre through co-creation alongside people who are living with dementia mate wareware. This means we are listening directly to, and co-creating something that works best for people who have direct experience. This leads to person-centered services which leads to improving the life and wellbeing of people living with dementia mate wareware.
As sensible as this sounds, it is not the way it is always done in the professional health care environment. The Dementia Learning Centre also educates aspiring doctors, nurses, and those already in the health care sector. We are aiming to improve the narrative for people living with dementia to person-centered care.
The Dementia Learning Centre is set up and run incredibly well, but it doesn’t reach far enough yet. We aspire to educate all new doctors, nurses, and rest home workers. Education is the key to success and Alzheimers NZ is delivering a wide range of important education.
Please support our appeal today to help us to expand the number of people who can access our learning modules, virtual reality workshops, and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy workshops.