# Findings Report — Dementia/Mate Wareware Updates **Date & Time:** 10 June 2026, 00:30 NZST **Prompt:** #32 — Dementia/Mate Wareware Updates **Category:** Health **Value Rating:** 🟠 High --- ## What I Searched 1. `site:alzheimers.org.nz OR site:dementia.nz news OR "Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan" OR "dementia strategy" 2026` 2. `"Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan" 2026 New Zealand Budget` 3. `"Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan" 2026 2031 launched presented Associate Minister Casey Costello` 4. `site:beehive.govt.nz "Dementia Mate Wareware" OR "dementia plan" OR "dementia action" 2026` 5. `Health NZ te whatu ora dementia mate wareware action plan 2026 implementation service development` 6. `Costello "dementia" OR "mate wareware" speech OR release 2026 May June 2026 site:beehive.govt.nz` 7. `site:parliament.nz "dementia" oral question 2026 Costello` --- ## Key Findings ### 1. Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan 2026–2031 Launched (Sept 2025) The kaitiaki group — Alzheimers NZ, Dementia NZ, NZ Dementia Foundation, and Te Mate Wareware Advisory Rōpū — presented the refreshed **Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan 2026–2031** to Associate Minister of Health Hon Casey Costello at the Alzheimers NZ Summit on **24 September 2025**. The plan is a five-year roadmap with **five priority areas**: 1. **Promote brain health** — reduce known risk factors through healthier environments 2. **Timely diagnosis and planning** — integrate dementia into routine primary care with equitable access 3. **Community support** — culturally appropriate, person- and whānau-centred services with respite for care partners 4. **Workforce support** — strengthen training, accredited learning pathways for health professionals and whānau supporters 5. **Effective governance** — national leadership, consistent data collection, outcome measures The plan builds on the first Action Plan (2020–2025) and continues initiatives including kaupapa Māori research, respite and navigation services, law reform for supported decision-making, and end-of-life care tools. **Source:** https://dementia.nz/dementia-mate-wareware-action-plan-2026-2031/ (accessed 10 Jun 2026) **Source:** https://alzheimers.org.nz/explore/advocacy/dementia-action-plan/ (accessed 10 Jun 2026) **Full PDF:** https://cdn.alzheimers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dementia-Mate-Wareware-Action-Plan-2026%E2%80%932031-WEB.pdf --- ### 2. Action Plan Remains Unfunded — Budget 2026 Missed Opportunity **Budget 2026** (released May 2026) provided: - ✅ $272,000 additional bed nights in residential aged care - ❌ **No dedicated funding** for the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan - ❌ **No new funding** for community dementia support services Alzheimers NZ Chief Executive **Catherine Hall** stated Budget 2026 is "another missed opportunity." The Action Plan "remains unfunded and un-implemented, and our frontline community dementia support services are really struggling for money." **Source:** https://alzheimers.org.nz/news/budget-2026-fails-to-meet-fast-growing-dementia-challenge/ (accessed 10 Jun 2026) **Source:** https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE2605/S00109/budget-2026-fails-to-meet-fast-growing-dementia-challenge.htm (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ### 3. Alzheimers NZ Campaign Priorities (3 Key Actions) Alzheimers NZ is campaigning for government to: 1. Progressively implement and fund the **Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan 2026–2031** 2. Fund **community-based dementia services** appropriately to deliver early and ongoing support 3. Create and implement an **older persons' health and aged care strategy** based on an integrated continuum of care **Source:** https://alzheimers.org.nz/get-involved/campaign-with-us/ (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ### 4. Critical Statistics | Metric | Value | | -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | New cases per hour | **3** (~500/week) | | Current population living with dementia (2025) | **83,000** | | Projected population (2050) | **170,000** (~3% of all NZers) | | Will die with dementia | **1 in 4** | | Currently can't get community support | **37,600** people | | Projected annual cost by 2050 (inflation-adjusted) | **~$10 billion** | | Previous funding (2022) | $12m over 4 years — "very targeted" | **Source:** https://alzheimers.org.nz/get-involved/campaign-with-us/ (accessed 10 Jun 2026) **Source:** https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/573645/warning-nz-is-unprepared-for-doubling-of-dementia-patients (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ### 5. Governance Ecosystem Established Te Pūnaha Mana Whakahaere mō te Mate Wareware (Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem) has been established by Health NZ (Te Whatu Ora) and the Ministry of Health (Manatū Hauora). It comprises: - **Leadership & Advisory Group / Te Whakaruruhau** — provides strategic advice to Government on implementing the Action Plan - **Network / Te Tūhononga** — open to providers, workforce, people living with dementia, whānau, experts The NZ Dementia Foundation provides secretariat and coordinates the Network. **Source:** https://www.nzdementia.org/Network-and-Leadership/Overview (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ### 6. Position Papers Updated May 2026 Alzheimers NZ updated its position papers in **May 2026** and **January 2026**, continuing to call for implementation and funding of the Action Plan, with focus on five priority actions. **Source:** https://cdn.alzheimers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Alzheimers-NZ-position-papers_1-May-2026-update.pdf (accessed 10 Jun 2026) **Source:** https://cdn.alzheimers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Alzheimers-NZ-position-papers-January-2026-update_All.pdf (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ### 7. International Context — NZ Falling Behind Alzheimer's Disease International released its **"From Plan to Impact"** report highlighting global progress on funding and implementing national dementia plans. NZ's plan remains unfunded. **Source:** Referenced in Budget 2026 response article — https://alzheimers.org.nz/news/budget-2026-fails-to-meet-fast-growing-dementia-challenge/ (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ### 8. No New Specific Beehive Releases on Dementia The Beehive has not published any specific releases about dementia since the Aged Care Advisory Group appointments. Associate Minister Costello's public statements about dementia remain from the pre-Budget period, with the key quote: _"We want improvements across the spectrum of care, from prevention, community support and primary care through to the aged-care system."_ **Source:** https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/573645/warning-nz-is-unprepared-for-doubling-of-dementia-patients (accessed 10 Jun 2026) --- ## KB ACTION Required ### Tracker to Update 1. **`16 Political & Campaign Intelligence/07_Bills_Hansard_Votes_and_Questions/2026 Tracker - Dementia Disability and Health Services.md`** — add rows capturing: - Action Plan 2026–2031 details (priority areas, governance ecosystem) - Budget 2026 dementia funding gap - Alzheimers NZ campaign priorities - Updated position papers (May 2026) ### New KB Files Recommended 2. **Create issue brief:** `2026 Issue Brief - Dementia Mate Wareware and Health Services.md` under `16 Political & Campaign Intelligence/11_Issue_Briefs_for_Campaigning/` — covers the Action Plan, funding gap, campaign position, and election-year relevance ### Existing KB Cross-links 3. `07_Dementia_and_Health/` folder — the Action Plan PDF and position papers could be downloaded and stored here 4. `05_Funding_and_Subsidies/` — the Budget 2026 funding gap relates to aged care funding reform --- _Research conducted 10 June 2026 as part of the NZ Seniors Knowledge Base automated research programme._