Our Forget-me-Not programme addresses dementia, disabilities, mobility, and isolation issues for both kaumatua and their whanau throughout the rohe.

It is tailored to provide specialised assistance to kaumatua and their whānau coping with challenges which may hinder their ability to participate in larger social gatherings and navigate other hauora services.

Forget Me Not Provides:

• Assesments and management

• Improves health literacy

• Nourishes wairua

• Rongoā Mate Wareware (Māori adapted Cognitive Stimulation Therapy)

• Mate Wareware navigation services

• Support for tangata in adjusting to their changing role

• Information in te reo

• Hearing technician and related services including hearing tests, hearing aid provisions and installation of specialised hearing alarms.

Our devoted team is committed to assisting our kaumatua in navigating the complex health and social systems to ensure they receive the support and services they deserve, and providing guidance and support to ensure that our whānau are fully aware of and have access to all the entitlements available to them.

Before taking part in Forget Me Not, individuals were found to have experienced significant loneliness and isolation, to the point where they would not venture outside until family members could come by.

They are now able to participate in outings with others, which has had a profound impact, leading to the formation of genuine connections and friendships.

Why is Forget Me Not important?

Māori individuals are diagnosed with dementia at a much younger age compared to Pākehā and Pasifika individuals. On average, Māori are diagnosed 8 years earlier than Pākehā and 3 years earlier than Pasifika individuals, if they are diagnosed at all. The challenges faced by older Māori individuals living with dementia include significant equity issues.

These issues are exacerbated by factors such as limited access to culturally appropriate health services, as well as a lack of support for risk factors. Additionally, individuals living in rural areas experience geographic isolation from much-needed respite care, further compounding the difficulties faced by this demographic.