On Friday, 22 November, representatives from iwi and leading Māori healthcare trusts and providers from across Aotearoa New Zealand gathered at Selwyn Village for a major Iwi Mate Wareware Wānanga/Dementia Iwi Forum on Mātauranga-Māori-inspired dementia care and support.
The wānanga was the first of its kind, bringing together key stakeholders to collaboratively discuss Mātauranga-Māori-inspired solutions and strategies to better support, maintain and enhance hauora and mana of kaumātua living with, or at risk of, mate wareware. It included presentations on the challenges facing iwi/whānau in supporting kaumātua with mate wareware, interactive workshops and shared learning on successful initiatives underway in kaumātua care, as well as insights into the dementia care provision and expertise at Selwyn Village.
The all-day forum was jointly hosted by The Selwyn Foundation and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, who are partnering on a ground-breaking initiative centred on capability development and knowledge-sharing to support the wellbeing of Ngāti Whātua kaumātua and their whānau.
Selwyn Chief Executive Denise Cosgrove said: “As mate wareware dementia is increasing faster and at an earlier stage among Māori (strongly correlated with over-representation in deprivation statistics), the number of kaumātua living with dementia will continue to rise with the ageing of the population in Aotearoa New Zealand. The increasing urgency around this issue therefore made the wānanga an important and timely opportunity to discuss the way forward in providing culturally appropriate and holistic health and wellbeing responses in both the short and long term.”
The Iwi Mate Wareware Wānanga/Dementia Iwi Forum was featured on the TVNZ 1 ‘Te Karere’ current affairs programme on 22 November, with Selwyn’s Denise Cosgrove interviewed along with Selwyn Board Member The Right Reverend Te Kītohi Pikaahu and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei CEO Tom Irvine. Denise was also interviewed on the issue of mate wareware dementia on Radio Waatea.
There was a resounding call for further wānanga, which are now being proposed for next year. Contact email@example.com if you would like further information.