Dementia and Memory Resources
Mate Wareware me Mahara nga Rauemi
Grey Matters website
Grey Matters is a resource for people who are experiencing changes to their memory and thinking. The website helps allows people to learn about the ageing brain and how to keep your brain healthy, to explore the different strategies people use to help them through the day, and for people to share their own tips, tricks and experiences with others. The website was co-designed by people experiencing changes to their memory and thinking as well as their families, to ensure the final resource would meet the needs of its users. Grey Matters was developed by Prof Nicola Kayes (Centre for Person Centred Research) and colleagues, in collaboration with Good Health Design, and funded by Brain Research New Zealand. You can read more about it here.
How-to guide: Driving assessment for patients with dementia
This resource is a medical case scenario that discusses driving assessment for a patient with dementia. It uses a clinical guideline on dementia and driving safety, and the Hui Process, a four-step approach to building relationships with Māori patients and whānau. This resource was created by Dr Vicki Mount and reviewed by Dr Philip Wood. Access this resource here.
Podcast: Living well with dementia
In this podcast, Prof Ngaire Kerse discusses topics on living well with dementia, including: the diagnosis of dementia, adjusting to change, considering the future, cognitive testing, family respite and support, driving and dementia, and whakawhanaungatanga when dealing with Māori patients and whānau. Listen to the podcast here.
Podcast: Dementia assessment and care
In this podcast, Prof Ngaire Kerse discusses the following topics: dementia care and early diagnosis, assessing cognitive impairment and expected age related decline, depression, delirium and dementia, reliable tools to test cognitive function, recommended investigations, breaking news to families, topics to discuss with patients, supportive role of the GP, lifestyle advice, frequency of review, when to refer, take home messages. Listen to the podcast here.
Goodfellow Unit course:
Mate Wareware (dementia) care for Māori
This short course, released by the Goodfellow Unit, is aimed at health professionals who engage with Māori who live with dementia and their whānau. It provides information and tools around communicating with Māori patients and whānau, and information around diagnosing dementia and the long term care of dementia patients. The resource was developed by Eleanor Moloney and reviewed by Prof Ngaire Kerse and Prof Leigh Hale, Shereen Moloney (The New Zealand Dementia Cooperative), Dr Chris Perkins and Catherine Hall (Alzheimers New Zealand). Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Professional Development. You can access the resource here.
Interview series: Health and wellbeing for Māori
As part of the development of the “Dementia Care for Māori” resource, a series of interviews with kaumatua Tāmati Kruger were recorded.
They give broad cultural insights and are aimed at healthcare practitioners who want to create greater satisfaction for both patients and practitioners and to achieve better health outcomes for Māori within their practice. The interviews touch on topics such as social connection, components of self, mana, mauri and tapu, whakapapa, mauri ora, and more. Watch the videos here.
Mate Wareware App
The Mate Wareware app was designed as a tool to help Māori affected by mate wareware (dementia) and to raise awareness of the disease. Topics covered in the app include what mate wareware is and what Māori understandings of it is, the types and causes of it, how to look after whānau who are affected by it and how to identify if someone might be suffering from it.
For more information and how to download the app, see our Tools and Apps page.
Podcast: Dementia in Māori –
optimising care
In this Goodfellow podcast, Dr Makarena Dudley talks about dementia diagnosis and care in Māori. She discusses her research into constructs of mate wareware (dementia) from a Māori understanding of dementia. The topics discussed include: why are Māori significantly younger when a dementia diagnosis is made, the definition of mate wareware, why language and labelling should always be a consideration, the four pillars of Māori health, and keeping kaumātua active in their cultural roles. Listen to the podcast here.