7th World Alzheimers Month

Alzheimers New Zealand marks the 7th World Alzheimers Month with a range of events and activities throughout the country. World Alzheimers Day is on September 21.

August 14, 2018

WHAT: World Alzheimers Month is the international campaign every September to raise awareness of and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. Launched in 2012, World Alzheimers Day falls on September 21 each year. Find out more here.

Last year over 70 Alzheimers organisations around the world participated in campaigns focused on advocacy and public awareness.
Alzheimers NZ marks the month each year and has a range of activities planned for this September’s event including:

• The very popular Memory Walks around the country. Media are welcome to take photos.
• The launch of the Living well with dementia video and a Te Reo Information short-film to coincide with Māori Language Week. A news release will be issued.
• Northland Rugby has partnered with Alzheimers Northland to dedicate its Mitre 10 Cup September 14 fixture against the Manawatu Turbos to supporting people with dementia and their families throughout Northland. Players will wear purple socks with ground signs and information material to raise awareness, and volunteers in purple shirts collecting for Alzheimers around the venue.
• Recognising the Nelson and Marlborough Public Trust branches as dementia friendly following their completion of the Dementia Friendly Recognition Programme. A news release will be issued, and media are welcome to attend.
• Wear Purple campaign to coincide with World Alzheimers Day, September 21.
• The launch of the World Alzheimers Report. A news release will be issued.

Tackling dementia: it’s everybody’s business
Dementia is one of New Zealand’s most significant healthcare and growing social service challenges – there are over 60,000 New Zealanders with dementia now and we expect that number to almost triple to 170,000 by 2050.

Dementia dramatically changes the lives of people who live with it, including people diagnosed with the condition, their families and communities. It will have major personal, societal and fiscal impacts in the years ahead.
We cannot afford to do nothing about the rapidly growing dementia challenge that affects four out of five Kiwis in some way.

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