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Education and Support Programmes

It’s our aim to support the community through awareness and knowledge. Dementia Auckland’s education and socialisation programmes are available to individuals living with dementia, family, professional caregivers and the public.

These programmes include:

Carer Education Programme

This free 4-part education programme is designed for carers and the wider whanau. These sessions cover a range of topics that can be applied to everyday situations, including:

  • Understanding what dementia is
  • Practical advice on living with someone who has dementia
  • Developing practical communication strategies
  • Tools for problem solving and managing stress
  • Coping with the changes that dementia brings

Get in touch for more info about the Carer Education Programme

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is a thoroughly researched and validated therapy for people with mild to moderate dementia. It has been shown to support people’s memory, improve mood and quality of life. Dementia Auckland has been having amazing responses at the CST groups.

People who join the CST group attend twice per week for 7 weeks. While the main focus of the sessions is to stimulate all parts of the brain, they also offer a supportive, non-judgemental environment, structure to the person’s week, and an opportunity to socialise and meet other people in a similar situation as them, to get involved in a variety of activities, have fun and use past skills.

The sessions are designed to stimulate all parts of the brain. Each session is different – being creative, being physically active, singing, reminiscing, stimulating the senses, laughing, reading, writing, constructing, remembering the day and date, keep up with current events, using words, language and numbers, dredging up past skills and memories.

Most importantly it’s about succeeding, building confidence and engagement.

Masterclasses

These are in-depth education sessions that are supplementary to the Carer Education Programme, directed at carers, family members and health professionals. At each session, there will be an expert/s presenting on different topics on dementia followed by some time for questions and answers.

Socialisation Groups

It’s important to know that life doesn’t stop with a dementia diagnosis. Dementia Auckland runs a range of groups for people with dementia, including walking groups, exercise or gym groups, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy groups, creative groups, a dancing group, and art group, and more!

These activities are also open to carers and family members of people with dementia. These groups aim to:

  • Provide opportunities for socialising for people with dementia and their carers
  • Provide stimulating, normal, meaningful activities for adults
  • Enable people with dementia to participate at whatever level they can within the group activity
  • Grade and modify activities to facilitate participation for people with dementia
  • Focus on well preserved old skills rather than requiring new learning
  • Provide a non-judgemental environment where people with dementia can participate and socialise thus experiencing mastery, success, pleasure and fun.

Side by Side

Side by Side is a free education programme designed for both people living with dementia and their carers or support person.

The 4-part programme offers joint and concurrent sessions. It aims to equip people who have just been diagnosed with dementia to learn practical strategies for living well with dementia. It is an opportunity for carers/support person to learn about support services, be around others in the same situation, ask questions, minimise stress and maximise quality of life.

Carer Support Groups

We recognise that supporting someone through their journey with dementia can at times be stressful, overwhelming and can limit opportunities for self-care.

Become part of a community through free, professionally facilitated support groups for carers. These support groups validate the carer’s role, provide practical strategies, create an environment where carers can meet and draw on the experience of others, show carers they are not alone and minimise feelings of isolation, and encourage open discussion in a safe environment.

Carer support groups run in the morning, afternoon and evening in various locations Auckland wide. For further information, please call our office on 0800 4 DEMENTIA / 0800 433 636 or 09 622 4230