Alarming new research shows dementia is now affecting three New Zealanders every hour – around 500 people every week, according to Alzheimer's NZ.
The University of Auckland data, commissioned by Alzheimer's NZ and released today to mark World Alzheimer's Month, paints a stark picture. It found that one in four Kiwis will die with dementia, that nearly 170,000 New Zealanders will live with dementia by 2050, annual costs will top NZD 10 billion, and rates will climb fastest among Māori, Pacific and Asian communities.
“Dementia is not a problem for the future. It’s one of the greatest health challenges New Zealand faces now,” said Alzheimer's NZ chief executive Catherine Hall.
“If we don’t act urgently, it risks overwhelming our health and aged care systems, and the impact on families, communities, and the economy will be enormous.”
To confront the crisis, the kaitiaki group, comprised of Alzheimers NZ, Dementia NZ, NZ Dementia Foundation and Te Mate Wareware Advisory Rōpū, has published the refreshed Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan 2026-2031.
The first Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan, published in 2020, was designed as a Government blueprint for action. The then Labour Government endorsed the Plan and provided some limited funding in 2022 to support pilot projects, but no further action or funding has followed. The work of the first Plan is not complete, so this refreshed Action Plan continues the work.
The refreshed Action Plan has been presented to the Associate Health Minister and Minister for Seniors, Casey Costello, at the Alzheimer's NZ summit.
The new version sets out five immediate priority areas to address the dementia challenge over the coming five years:
- Taking action to promote brain health in a bid to reduce dementia prevalence
- Ensuring timely and accurate diagnosis and comprehensive management planning for people living with dementia
- Improving community dementia support services
- Better supporting both the formal and informal dementia workforces
- Providing more effective governance for and within the dementia sector.
Alzheimer’s NZ has also called for the Government to fairly fund the country’s 17 chronically underfunded dementia services, and create a national older person’s health and aged care strategy, built on an integrated continuum of care.
“New Zealand faces a massive demographic shift in the next 20 years, and with it will come a huge number of new dementia cases, potentially overwhelming the health system and creating a major fiscal burden, unless we act now,” said Hall.
“Decisive action is needed, and the Government must step up with funding and policies to support Kiwis living with dementia. The time to prepare is long overdue … but better late than never.”
More news here.
