Dementia Canterbury

11/08/2026

Join us online next week for Ethical Issues Associated with Dementia - our next Specialist Dementia Education Series event.

📅 Wednesday 19 August
🕜 7-8pm
🖥️ Online.

Is it ok to agree with a person if their reality is no longer factual? When is it the right time to transfer to residential care? Is it ok to lock the door and what is considered restraint for a person with dementia?

Thomas Sackree, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Burwood Hospital, Te Whatu Ora, will examine these issues and others during his talk. There will be time at the end for questions.

No need to register. Join online using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89865964317?pwd=eU5NdlNlSHM2SjcwN0NVWHZwOHNWZz09

More information: https://dementiacanterbury.org.nz/event/ethical-issues-associated-with-dementia/

09/08/2026

🎥 Our education video library is growing!

We’re continuing to update our online education video library with recordings from our latest Zoom education sessions, making it easier for you to access helpful information whenever you need it.

Newer recordings currently available include:

📌 How Not to Age – March 2026
📌 Navigating the System – April 2026
📌 Behaviours – March 2026
📌 Hearing – August 2025
📌 Managing Stress & Anxiety – July 2026

We’re adding the latest recordings as we can, so not every topic has been updated just yet.

Whether you missed a session or would like to revisit something you’ve heard before, our education videos are available to watch in your own time.

👉 Explore our education video library: https://dementiacanterbury.org.nz/services-support/education-resources/education-videos/

06/08/2026

🎙️ Dementia Australia recently launched a powerful new episode of their award-winning 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 podcast: 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢: 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦.

𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 shares real stories about life after a dementia diagnosis, offering insight into the experiences of people living with dementia and their families.

In this moving episode, you’ll hear from parents Rachel and Eli, who are using their experiences to raise awareness of childhood dementia.

We also hear from Megan Maack, founder of the Childhood Dementia Initiative and a parent herself, who is working to connect families, improve healthcare and advocate for more research.

💜 This episode is about grief, love and refusing to give up.

Listen to 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 to hear these powerful stories of hope, courage and determination. See link in bio.

05/08/2026

☀️ Winter sunshine, connection and community🌿

Our Younger Onset clients and whānau made the most of the beautiful winter sunshine earlier this week with a walk along the stunning Te Ara Ōtākaro Avon River Trail.

Afterwards, everyone enjoyed morning tea together at Richmond Community Garden - the perfect setting for good conversation, connection and a few laughs. 💚

It was a lovely day spent together, enjoying the outdoors and each other’s company.

05/08/2026

Mark your diaries for Ethical Issues Associated with Dementia - our next Specialist Dementia Education Series event.

📅 Wednesday 19 August
🕜 7-8pm
🖥️ Online.

Is it ok to agree with a person if their reality is no longer factual? When is it the right time to transfer to residential care? Is it ok to lock the door and what is considered restraint for a person with dementia?

Thomas Sackree, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Burwood Hospital, Te Whatu Ora, will examine these issues and others during his talk. There will be time at the end for questions.

No need to register. Join online using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89865964317?pwd=eU5NdlNlSHM2SjcwN0NVWHZwOHNWZz09

More information: https://dementiacanterbury.org.nz/event/ethical-issues-associated-with-dementia/

04/08/2026

Tomorrow is our next Specialist Dementia Education Series event - Legal Matters.

This session is now full. Fleur will present another Legal Matters session via Zoom on 18 November 2026 which we will advertise in early November.

If you have registered for the Legal Matters on 5 August, and can no longer attend, please let us know so we can offer you place to others.

Session details:
📅 Wednesday 5 August
🕜 1:30pm - 3pm
📍 BrainTree 70 Langdons Road, Papanui

Facilitated by Fleur McDonald, Director and Solicitor at Fleur McDonald Legal. Fleur will talk about the legal matters which affect family and friends of people with dementia, including the roles and responsibilities of Enduring Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives, Wills, and Residential Care Subsidies. There will be time for questions at the end.

Please note: this event will be held in-person only. It is free to attend, however a koha donation will be gratefully received.

More information: https://dementiacanterbury.org.nz/event/legal-matters-4/

31/07/2026

🎬 Help bring an important story to the screen - Fallen Through the Cracks

Earlier this week we shared the launch of the crowdfunding campaign for Fallen Through the Cracks — a short film that shines a light on a story that deserves to be heard.

Making films like this takes a community. Every donation, share, and word of encouragement helps move this project closer to becoming a reality.

If you haven’t already, we’d love you to watch the trailer, learn more about the project, and consider supporting it if you’re able.

Even sharing this post can make a huge difference by helping the story reach more people.

🎥 Watch the trailer here:
https://www.thearts.co.nz/boosted/projects/fallen-through-the-cracks

💙 Support the project here: https://www.thearts.co.nz/boosted/projects/fallen-through-the-cracks

Thank you to everyone who has already supported, shared, or cheered this project on. Your support means so much.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

30/07/2026

We’re pleased to share some exciting news for our communities across Canterbury.

From 1 November 2026, Dementia Canterbury will extend its services into South Canterbury, welcoming and amalgamating the Alzheimer’s South Canterbury team into the Dementia Canterbury whānau.

This is an important milestone for our organisation and means we’ll be able to support more people living with dementia-mate wareware, and their families and whānau, across a wider Canterbury region.

We’re delighted to welcome the South Canterbury team into the Dementia Canterbury whānau. They bring a wealth of experience, strong local connections and a deep commitment to supporting people living with dementia-mate wareware and their families. The trusted relationships they have built with the South Canterbury community will continue to be at the heart of our work together.

By coming together, we can share our knowledge, resources and experience to strengthen dementia support for our communities, while creating opportunities to introduce new programmes, provide consistent training for staff, and continue improving the services we offer.

This amalgamation reflects a shared commitment to ensuring dementia support remains strong, sustainable and accessible for the future.

We’re excited to welcome South Canterbury into the Dementia Canterbury whānau and look forward to supporting more people and whānau across our region.

28/07/2026

Next week is our Specialist Dementia Education Series event - Legal Matters.

This session is now full. Fleur will present another Legal Matters session via Zoom on 18 November 2026 which we will advertise in early November.

If you have registered for the Legal Matters on 5 August, and can no longer attend, please let us know so we can offer you place to others.

Session details:

📅 Wednesday 5 August
🕜 1:30pm - 3pm
📍 BrainTree 70 Langdons Road, Papanui

Facilitated by Fleur McDonald, Director and Solicitor at Fleur McDonald Legal. Fleur will talk about the legal matters which affect family and friends of people with dementia, including the roles and responsibilities of Enduring Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives, Wills, and Residential Care Subsidies. There will be time for questions at the end.

Please note: this event will be held in-person only.

More information: https://dementiacanterbury.org.nz/event/legal-matters-4/

27/07/2026

🎬 Help us share an important story.

We're supporting the crowdfunding campaign for Fallen Through the Cracks – a powerful film shining a light on the realities faced by people living with dementia and those who care for them.

Watch the film teaser here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KxmzgER7YI&feature=youtu.be

The campaign has already reached 30% of its fundraising goal, but there's still a way to go. Every donation and every share helps bring this important project to life and raise awareness of the challenges so many families experience.

If you're able to help, please consider:
💜 Donating to the campaign here: https://www.thearts.co.nz/boosted/projects/fallen-through-the-cracks
📢 Sharing it with your friends, family, or colleagues
🎥 Sharing the teaser to help spread the word even further.

Together, we can help ensure these stories are seen, heard, and understood.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.