Dementia & Cognitive Health
Learn about dementia support, kaumātua health, and preventing falls. Alzheimers NZ, Dementia NZ, mate wareware (dementia), diagnosis, healthy ageing, falls prevention, oral health for older people, loneliness, and kaumātua health.
Browse all 17 documentsAll Documents (17)
Showing 1–15 of 17 matching documents. Undated publications appear last.
Cross-references: 07DementiaandHealth/2026-06-110800Prompt01B2DementiaActionPlanFinal.md, 2026 Tracker
Dementia Disability and Health Services, 2026 Issue Brief
Cross-references: 07DementiaandHealth/2026-02-12 Alzheimers NZ
Health inequities worsening — dementia increasing faster among Māori, Pacific peoples, and Asian communities.
https://alzheimers.org.nz/about-dementia/booklets-and-factsheets/
- Dementia / mate wareware is a progressive brain condition that causes a decline in cognitive function beyond what is expected from normal ageing.
Purpose: A practical guide to recognising dementia warning signs, navigating the diagnosis pathway, finding local support, preventing falls, understanding healthy ageing, and planning ahead.
It is time to see a doctor if you or someone you know is experiencing:
- Falls are the most common cause of injury for people aged 65 and over.
- Stiffening of blood vessels: Arteries naturally become less elastic over time, which causes blood pressure (especially systolic — the top number) to rise gradually.
Alzheimer's disease is a physical brain disease caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells:
For Care Partners of People Living with Dementia Mate Wareware This document is intended as a resource to support care partners and family/Whnau members of people living with dementia mate wareware.
The [publisher’s publications list](https://alzheimers.org.nz/explore/advocacy/publications/) identifies the August 2024 submission. The [Health Committee’s later release](https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/committees-press-releases/health-committee-reports-findings-of-aged-care-inquiry-to-the-house/) records its f...
Age Concern research funded by CHT explores how older adults experience social connection in Auckland and Tauranga.
Physical p. 3 explicitly says Published April 2024; May 2024 PDF upload/modification clues and the [13 May publisher launch story](https://www.ageingwellchallenge.co.nz/ka-mua-ka-muri/) are separate dates. The preserved 116-page file matched the current publisher download on 10 October 2026. For present clinical inf...
Featured Resources
Ageing Well National Science Challenge — Ka Mua Ka Muri: A decade of ageing well in Aotearoa and beyond
Physical p. 3 explicitly says Published April 2024; May 2024 PDF upload/modification clues and the [13 May publisher launch story](https://www.ageingwellchallenge.co.nz/ka-mua-ka-muri/) are separate dates. The preserved 116-page file matched the current publisher download on 10 October 2026. For present clinical inf...
Alzheimers NZ — 16 August 2024 submission to the aged-care neurological cognitive disorders inquiry
The [publisher’s publications list](https://alzheimers.org.nz/explore/advocacy/publications/) identifies the August 2024 submission. The [Health Committee’s later release](https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/committees-press-releases/health-committee-reports-findings-of-aged-care-inquiry-to-the-house/) records its f...
Breaking Barriers: Understanding the social connection challenges of older adults — An Auckland and Tauranga perspective
Age Concern research funded by CHT explores how older adults experience social connection in Auckland and Tauranga.
HDC-hosted author’s desktop review for the Aged Care Commissioner report (April 2024 final version)
The [HDC publisher page](https://www.hdc.org.nz/our-work/aged-care-commissioner/amplifying-the-voices-of-older-people-in-aotearoa-new-zealand/), dated 7 March 2024 for the main report, also links this separate April 2024 desktop review. Its cover spells the author Jane Ferriera, while Author metadata spells Jane Fer...
NZDA - Roadmap to Better Oral Health
Section 2: Current Issues in Population Oral Health and Oral Health Services 2.1: State of Oral Health 2.2: Tooth Decay and Inequity Section 3: Oral Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 12 3.1: Personal Care and Healthy Environments 13 3.2: Sugars and Sugary Drinks 3.3:...
Alzheimers NZ - Oral Health Guide
For Care Partners of People Living with Dementia Mate Wareware This document is intended as a resource to support care partners and family/Whnau members of people living with dementia mate wareware.
Dementia
Dementia is a syndrome, often associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, and characterized by a general decline in cognitive processes that affects the ability to perform everyday activities. This typically involves problems with memory, thinking, behavior, and motor control. Aside from memory impairment and a disruption in thought patterns, the most common symptoms of dementia include emotional problems, difficulties with language, and decreased motivation. The symptoms may be described as occurring in a continuum over several stages. Dementia is an incurable, progressive neurocognitive disorder, with varying degrees of severity and many forms or subtypes. The condition has a significant effect on the individual, their caregivers, and their social relationships in general. Dementia is not the same as age-related decline in cognition and memory, with no change in intelligence.
Open Intelligence Use
- Use Wikipedia as a baseline definition, then test it against the NZ-specific documents below.
- Prioritise recent official PDFs, parliamentary papers, and sector reports where the baseline is dated or generic.
- Turn repeated evidence into source briefs, watchlists, and strategy actions.
Source Monitoring Queue
Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan 2026-2031
Alzheimers New Zealand
Current sector-led dementia roadmap covering brain health, diagnosis, community support, workforce, and governance.
Next: Keep linked to dementia funding analysis, aged-care reform, and political campaign tracking.
Government response to the neurological cognitive disorders aged-care inquiry
New Zealand Government
The 10 March 2026 response noted all 14 Health Committee recommendations on residential care, home support, carers, and workforce.
Next: Capture the formal response and map each recommendation to government decisions, agency responsibilities, and funded delivery evidence.
Dementia New Zealand services and resources
Dementia New Zealand
Regional dementia support, education, and navigation evidence complements national policy and prevalence research.
Next: Map regional services, respite information, and culturally specific support gaps.