44498 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

44498 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter January to March 2024 on the action ‘Improve understanding of dementia mate wareware and ageing within Aotearoa New Zealand communities by promoting and supporting age and dementia/mate wareware friendly initiatives and programmes’ under the objective ‘Build accepting and understanding communities’ within Te Whatu Ora’s Improving Dementia Mate Wareware Services in Aotearoa New Zealand Action Plan?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised that age friendly and dementia friendly initiatives and programmes are promoted by organisations such as Age Concern New Zealand, Alzheimers New Zealand, and Dementia New Zealand. Health New Zealand contracts these organisations and others to provide assorted information and advisory services. As part of the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan implementation programme, seven new services trials were commissioned in June 2023 and will operate until June 2027. The service trials will provide: 1. innovative respite care options to support carers and whānau; 2. post diagnostic supports for people with dementia mate wareware, their whānau and carers; and 3. navigator roles to coordinate and support people to access the supports they need. I am further advised that the support and promotion of age and dementia friendly values and principles will be provided by each organisation as part of delivering the service trials.