Health Challenges

New Zealand Dementia Foundation > Research Radar > Health Challenges
Dementia and Cataract Surgery in Australia and New Zealand.


March de Ribot F, de Ribot AM, Walker X, Jamieson H, Cheung G
Australas J Ageing. 2023; 42: 450-454.

This paper discusses the health implications of low vision, often associated with cataracts, in older adults. A recent publication reported that cataract surgery reduces the risk of dementia by 30% over 10 years.

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Older Adults With Schizophrenia and Dementia: Analysis of a National Dataset.


Mentzel C, Taube C, Glue P, Barak Y.
Australas J Ageing. 2023; 42: 609-612.

Individuals with schizophrenia develop dementia in late life at higher rates than the general population. This is arguably explained by high rates of chronic medical conditions and exposure to antipsychotic medications. This risk has implications for public health. We aimed to test this in a large New Zealand database.

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Access to Rehabilitation Services for Older Adults Living With Dementia or in a Residential Aged Care Facility Following a Hip Fracture: Healthcare Professionals’ Views.


Mitchell, R. Fajardo Pulido, D.  Ryder, T. Norton, G. Brodaty, H. Draper, B. Close, J. Rapport, F. Lystad, R. Harris, I. Harvey, L. Sherrington, C. Cameron, I.D. Braithwaite, J. (2021) 
Disability and Rehabilitation, 43:6, 834-845, DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1643418

Surveys and interviews with health professionals in NZ and Australia have found that access to rehabilitation following a hip fracture varies widely for people living with dementia in aged residential care.

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Monitoring the Sleep Patterns of People With Dementia and Their Family Carers in the Community.


Gibson, R. H., & Gander, P. H. (2019).
Australasian Journal on Ageing, 38(1), 47-51.

This study evaluated the reliability of automatically scored actigraphy data for monitoring sleep. The authors conclude that Automated scoring offers reasonable agreement with manual scoring, may better reflect the fragmented nature of dementia-related sleep, and may be less demanding for care-partners than a sleep diary.

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Understanding the Sleep Problems of People With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers.


Gibson, R. H., Gander, P. H., & Jones, L. M. (2014). 
The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 13(3), 350-365.

Sleep disturbances are common with dementia and can adversely affect waking function. However, the perspectives of people with dementia and their family caregivers concerning their sleep are under-researched. This New Zealand study conducted three focus groups with 12 community-dwelling pairs (a person with dementia and their family caregiver).

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The Use of the Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors With Limited Ability To Communicate (PACSLAC) by Caregivers in Dementia Care Facilities.


Cheung, G., & Choi, P. (2008). 
New Zealand Medical Journal, 121(1286), 21-29.

PACSLAC is a behavioural assessment tool designed to improve the detection of pain in severe dementia. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of the PACSLAC when it is administered by New Zealand caregiver staff. This pilot study demonstrated that PACSLAC has good inter-rater reliability when it is used by caregivers.

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Delirium Among Elderly General Medical Patients in a New Zealand Hospital.


Holden, J., Jayathissa, S., & Young, G. (2008).
Internal Medicine Journal, 38(8), 629-634.

The aim of this study was to examine predictors of mortality in dementia in consecutive referrals to a New Zealand memory service that includes Māori, Pacific Islander, and NZ European patients. The risk of death in people with dementia was increased by age and lower cognitive score at baseline, and was reduced by cholinesterase inhibitors. Compared to NZ Europeans, antipsychotics increased the risk of death threefold in Māori and Pacific Islanders.

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Implementing and Assessing the Acceptability of a Portable, Readily Accessible, and Actionable End-of-Life Planning Tool for Patients With Advanced Serious Illness or Frailty in Southern New Zealand.


Mulligan, Laura; Sommerfeldt, Amanda Charity. 
The New Zealand Medical Journal (Online); Christchurch Vol. 136, Iss. 1580,  (Aug 4, 2023): 26-39.

The Clinical Order Articulating Scope of Treatment (COAST) form was designed as a single-page medical order that documents and communicates the resuscitation status and scope of appropriate medical treatment for adult patients believed to be in their final year of life. Surveys were given to patients at the time of COAST form completion and distributed electronically to health professionals at the end of each phase to assess attitudes towards COAST form use and obtain feedback. The hypothesis was that COAST would be acceptable to patients, families, and health providers.

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Identifying Potential Patients With Diabetes-Related Dementia: A Descriptive Approach Using Routinely Collected Data.


Prieto, Cristian Gonzalez; Hosking, Ruby; Appleton, Jasmine; Yates, Susan; Lin, Yu-Min; et al.  
The New Zealand Medical Journal (Online); Christchurch Vol. 136, Iss. 1580,  (Aug 4, 2023): 48-61.

This New Zealand study investigated the prevalence of discontinuation of statins in older people diagnosed with dementia in their last year of life compared to those without dementia, and evaluated statin discontinuation based on an indication for primary versus secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

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Reduced Pain Reports With Increasing Cognitive Impairment in Older Persons in New Zealand.


Jordan, J., Crowe, M., Gillon, D., McCall, C., Frampton, C., & Jamieson, H. (2018). 
American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 33(7), 463-470.

Pain and cognitive impairment were examined in a New Zealand cohort of older persons assessed using the Home Care International Residential Assessment Instrument (interRAI-HC).  Although severe pain reports decrease with increasing age and cognitive impairment, more nuanced research covarying for dementia severity and subtype is required.

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A Population-Level Study Examining Discontinuation of Statins in Older People With Dementia.


Narayan, S. W., Hilmer, S.N. & Nishtala, P.S. (2018). 
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 74(3), 379-381.

This New Zealand study investigated the prevalence of discontinuation of statins in older people diagnosed with dementia in their last year of life compared to those without dementia, and evaluated statin discontinuation based on an indication for primary versus secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

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Oral Status, Cognitive Function and Dependency Among New Zealand Nursing Home Residents.


Thomson, W. M., Smith, M. B., Ferguson, C. A., Kerse, N. M., Peri, K., & Gribben, B. (2018)
Gerodontology, 35(3), 185-191.

This study reports a national survey of oral health in aged residential care throughout New Zealand. The study found that impaired cognitive function is a risk indicator for both dental caries and oral debris in aged residential care. 

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Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Managing Dementia-Related Sleep Problems Within Community-Dwelling Pairs: A Mixed-Method Approach.


Gibson, R. H., Gander, P. H., Dowell, A. C., & Jones, L. M. (2017). 
Dementia, 16(8), 967-984

This study involved a five-week feasibility study of a programme for dementia-related sleep problems, including timed light therapy, exercise and sleep education. Of 15 community-dwelling pairs who participated, nine completed the trial. The case studies presented here show that this population can benefit from non-pharmacological interventions, with positive outcomes. 

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