Dementia for healthcare providers

Māori are 8.5 and 3.3 years younger than Pākehā and Pacific Peoples respectively when they are diagnosed. Māori understandings of mate wareware differ from the main western conceptions of dementia. Whānau are generally inclusive of their whānau member’s changes in their daily functioning and new emerging behaviours. Whānau are crucial for the care of a kaumātua (older person) with mate wareware, so they need to be included in treatment discussions and decisions, along with the person with mate wareware.

Te oranga wairua (spiritual wellbeing) has been identified as central to Māori thinking about health, and effective care for someone with mate wareware must therefore include cultural practices to strengthen wairua of the whole whānau.

Read more: Dudley M, Menzies O, Elder H, Nathan L, Garrett N, Wilson D. Mate wareware – understanding ‘dementia’ from a Māori perspective(external link) NZ Med J. 2019;132(1503):66-74

Podcast: Dementia in Māori – optimising care(external link), Goodfellow Unit, NZ 2020,44 minutes.

Website: Mate wareware(external link) Understanding dementia from a Māori perspective.

Course: Dementia care for Māori,(external link) Goodfellow Unit, NZ 2019,1 hour. Provides information and tools for communicating with Māori patients and their whānau, as well as information around diagnosing dementia and long term care of dementia patients.

Managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
Recognising and managing early dementia(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
Age-related cognitive decline – prevention and future planning(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
Understanding the role of palliative care for people with advanced dementia(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
Symptom management in palliative dementia care(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
National report – the use of antipsychotic medicines in older people(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
Behaviours that challenge(external link) Health Quality & Safety Commission, NZ 2019
Communicating effectively with older people and their whanau/ family(external link) Health Quality & Safety Commission, NZ 2019
Capacity assessment(external link) Health Quality & Safety Commission, NZ 2019
World Alzheimer Report 2023. Reducing Dementia Risk: never too early, never too late.(external link) Alzheimer's Disease International 
Best practice links(external link) to resources guiding you to make your orgainsation dementia-friendly, NZ Dementia Foundation, NZ
Frontotemporal dementia(external link) Frontier Group, Australia 
Hemmy LS, Linskens EJ, Silverman PC, et al. Brief cognitive tests for distinguishing clinical Alzheimer-type dementia from mild cognitive impairment or normal cognition in older adults with suspected cognitive impairment: a systematic review(external link) Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;172(10):678–687

Medical practitioners are legally required to consider the driving safety of our patients and to deal with any risk to themselves or others from unsafe driving. However, the decision as to whether a person with dementia is fit to drive is complex, and often difficult for the person with dementia.

Medical aspects of fitness to drive – a guide for health practitioners(external link) New Zealand Transport Agency, 2014
Dementia and driving(external link) New Zealand Transport Agency webpage for families, with downloadable factsheet
Dementia and driving toolkit(external link) patient resource explaining 'retirement from driving' Dementia New Zealand 2024
Driving assessment for patients with dementia – how to guide(external link) Goodfellow Unit, NZ, 2020, includes link to pdf of the Northern DHBs 2014 'Dementia and Driving Safety – a clinical guide'

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a structured group treatment developed for people with mild to moderate dementia. It consists of 14 sessions with a range of activities and discussions aimed at general enhancement of cognitive and social functioning. The sessions actively engage people with dementia, while providing an optimal learning environment, and the social benefits of being part of a group. CST has been found to be an acceptable psychological therapy for older people with a clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia.

Non-pharmacological treatments for dementia(external link) Dementia Australia, 2024
Managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia(external link) BPAC, NZ, 2020
Non-pharmacological interventions for people with dementia(external link) Dr Kathy Perry, University of Auckland (PPT)
Cognitive stimulation therapy – a New Zealand pilot(external link) Te Pou, NZ, 2014
Shirsat A, Jha RK, Verma P. Music therapy in the treatment of dementia – a review article(external link) Cureus 2023 Mar 31;15(3):e36954

Assessing dementia in primary care(external link) The Good GP podcast episode, 2022, Australia, 28 minutes.
18 short podcasts(external link) Dementia Training Australia website, AUS.
Living well with dementia(external link) Goodfellow Unit, NZ, podcast 2020, 28 minutes . Professor Ngaire Kerse is a GP in Auckland, Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care and the Joyce Cook Chair in Ageing Well at the University of Auckland.
Rational prescribing in dementia(external link) Goodfellow Unit, NZ, webinar, 2020, 1:15 minutes.
Links to online General Practice education and courses(external link) NZ Dementia Foundation.

1. PHARMAC seminar: Dementia update, Early screening and assessment in Primary Care (30 minutes) – Rebecca Casey

(PHARMAC Seminar, NZ, 2017)

2. PHARMAC seminar: Dementia update, 2a. Managing dementia, the next steps, part 1 (31 minutes) – Dr Jan Gregson

 (PHARMAC Seminar, NZ, 2017)

3. PHARMAC seminar: Dementia update, 2a. Managing dementia, the next steps, part 1 (28 minutes) – Dr Jan Gregson

(PHARMAC Seminar, NZ, 2017)

Dementia New Zealand(external link)

Dementia New Zealand’s member organisations provide support and education services to about 70% of New Zealand’s population affected by dementia, particularly in our larger cities, from Christchurch to Auckland. They are a key national voice to develop and promote better services to help people live well with dementia.

Alzheimer's NZ(external link)

Alzheimer’s New Zealand’s national office in Wellington has a respected history of working to educate and support government and other organisations to give the right priority and the right support to people living with all kinds of dementia and their whānau/families. Its member organisations provide grassroots support and education to about 30% of New Zealand’s population affected by dementia, particularly in our key regional areas, from Invercargill to Whangarei.

NZ Dementia Foundation(external link)

New Zealand Dementia Foundation exists to support the dementia workforce to do its job at its top potential – the health-care professionals, support workers, researchers, educators and managers who work with people affected by dementia. The Foundation takes the voice of the workforce into every leadership meeting we attend and bring messages from the sector’s governance back to you.

The key players from the public health sector are:

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora(external link)

Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora provides overarching leadership to the whole dementia sector, setting the policy and goals and monitoring the outcomes.

The NZ Dementia Framework Collaborative

This group of Health of Older People leaders from all four DHB health regions of the country (Northern, Mid-central, Central and Southern) is active in encouraging and ensuring there is a coordinated approach from the DHBs to put the aspirations of the “New Zealand Framework for Dementia Care” (2013) into action.

There are many other groups involved as well, including other key NGOs providing services, New Zealand’s Aged Residential Care and Home and Community Support Service providers, other cross-DHB committees such as the Mental Health of Older Persons Service Leaders Forum, professional interest groups such as the NZ Psychologists of Older People, and local Dementia Stakeholders groups in some DHBs and health regions.

Source: NZ Dementia Foundation(external link) 2019

Dementia Learning Centre(external link) Alzheimers NZ

Caring for someone living with dementia can be extremely stressful and challenging, both mentally and physically. Now, a unique online Caring for the Carers programme aims to help care partners take better care of themselves – and the person for whom they are caring. The programme has a range of tips, resources and advice around mental and physical wellbeing, rest and relaxation, diet and lifestyle to ensure carer partners can better deal with the stresses of their role.