Dr Makarena Dudley presenting at the Te Hauora Mahara hui hosted by The Selwyn Foundation

A major work programme is currently underway with six Māori groups across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Te Tai Tokerau Northland and Kirikiriroa Hamilton to jointly deliver Māori-led Te Hauora Mahara/memory centres, where elders with mate wareware/dementia and their whānau can, over time, seek assessment, care and support in a dedicated te ao Māori space.

A clinical and diversional therapy programme is to be co-created with whānau and driven by lived experiences, thereby enabling kaumātua to age with dignity, cultural connection and security in their local community. In delivering this person-centred approach, both Selwyn and the participating Iwi and Māori organisations may combine expertise, funding and resources, with Selwyn’s established dementia day centres at Selwyn Village and in the community providing the basis for the design of each facility.

The project planning of each initiative is moving at pace and, when completed, each centre will offer kaumātua and their whānau access to culturally grounded care and support within a purposely designed venue. With its specialist expertise in dementia care, the Foundation will continue to play an important role in providing support in areas such as quality assurance and knowledge-sharing, into the future.