Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan
2026-2031
Building on the foundations laid by our 2020-2025 Action Plan, this refreshed plan represents a critical evolution in our national response to dementia.
Presented to the Associate Minister of Health, Hon Casey Costello, at the Alzheimer's NZ Summit on 24 September 2025, this refreshed Action Plan addresses one of the most significant challenges currently facing our health system. Dementia mate wareware is not a problem for the future—it is having a profound impact on individuals, whānau, our health system, and economy right now.
Developed by the kaitiaki group—Alzheimers New Zealand, Dementia New Zealand, New Zealand Dementia Foundation, and te Mate Wareware Advisory Rōpū—this refreshed Plan was shaped through a comprehensive two-phase consultation process. In March 2025, almost 100 people from across the sector provided feedback on the refresh approach, followed by input from 44 people and organisations during the online consultation phase.
The current Action Plan is set to expire in 2025, but the work is not yet complete. With the growing number of New Zealanders living with dementia mate wareware, the government must act decisively on these priorities. As the kaitiaki group emphasises, doing nothing will be more expensive and is the least effective option.