Guardian Support Services

14/08/2025

Our service operates from this foundation.
Be Brave, Smile and always be kind to one another.
In all of my dealings with Dementia Canterbury I have found kindness to be one of their core values. Thank you team Canterbury. Keep up the amazing work you do.♥️

Dementia Canterbury

07/08/2025

Great Job Richard - Thanks you for sharing this

This moving story in The Press highlights a husband who has become his wife’s full-time carer after her dementia diagnosis, saying simply, “It’s my turn to look after her.” The article captures the love, resilience, and quiet strength it takes to care for someone with Dementia.

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360766907/dementia-crisis-husband-full-time-carer-its-my-turn-look-after-her

07/08/2025

Friday Thought

I was recently invited by a friend to participate in the Assistive Technology Suppliers New Zealand – Disability Expo.
It was a great 2 day event, well organised, full of learning, and with an excellent range of providers and sector professionals all exploring the latest advances in tools to support their clients and Whanau.
As I stood watching the community of people coming through the doors each for their own reasons, a reality I already knew, but had allowed to slip into the background of my consciousness, came rushing back.

👉 While many Kiwi individuals and families go about their day focused on the price of butter and cheese, and debating why one of the largest co-operative corporations can’t or won’t intervene, there are thousands of other families, tupuna, mums, dads, sons, daughters, facing challenges every second of the day.
⚕️ Challenges that demand every ounce of emotion and energy, just to wake up and make it through the day. 💲 Every essence of creativity and humanity. 😪 And, when possible, to lay their head on a pillow at night in the hope that enough rest will come… to do it all again tomorrow.

That’s it for Friday, just a thought.
Do with it what you will.
Have an amazing weekend. JB

31/07/2025

Friday Thought

When you go through the process of watching someone slowly change, from the personality you once knew so well into something different, something more internal, it stirs up questions you never expected to face.

What makes us who we are?

Is it our memories?
Our connections?
Our spirit, or being?

It’s the kind of question that doesn’t come with an easy answer. But when you’re living through that slow transformation with someone you love, the question almost insists on being answered.

And in that space, it can feel both crushing… and strangely inspiring.

This week, my sister sent me a short clip, you might’ve seen it floating around on socials. Jim Carrey, reflecting on his own journey, said:

“I now feel like I am the universe experiencing a man.”

That line hit something deep in me. Because after all the loss, the change, the searching… the answer I’ve landed on is surprisingly simple:

WE ARE. Not a role. Not a label. Not a performance shaped by expectations. Not a disease

Just being.

And in that, there’s something powerful. Quiet. True.

Even just once this weekend, sit quietly with your eyes closed.

Imagine standing under a waterfall that’s gently washing away all the labels you carry… until all that’s left is you.

Just being.

Anyway, just a thought for the weekend.

24/07/2025

💭 JB's Friday Thought

Today would have been Nikki’s 68th birthday.

I’m thinking about all the things that made her her, the laughter, the strength, the gentleness, and the love she shared so freely. Her presence made an impact on everyone who knew her.

Days like today also remind me of the many people I now walk alongside through Guardian Support Services. My clients (I consider them whānau) who are living or navigating that same inevitable transition. The journey from partner, best friend, companion, Mum or Dad… to caregiver, to memory, to something entirely new.
It’s tough. Really tough.
So as we head into the weekend, I just want to say this:

👉 Don’t forget those who are left behind to carry on.
👉 Reach out. Say their name. Let them talk.
👉 Honour the ones we’ve lost by holding space for those who remain.

Arohanui ❤️

JB
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17/07/2025

Friday Thought

Today I want to share something personal.
After a week of highs, connecting with amazing people and supporting families facing life-altering challenges, and the lows of disappointing business events beyond my control that stirred up a storm of internal emotion, I’ve come back to something steadying. Something worth remembering.

In the last year of my wife Nikki’s life, she became fixated on a simple but powerful message:

“Be brave, smile, and always be kind to one another.”

She asked us to write it down, on cards, on paper, anywhere, so she could hold on to it. Nikki lived with Alzheimer’s, so from one moment to the next, life could become a bit of a mystery.

Now, I find these words help me remember what is important; they guide me. They remind me that behind everything we do, whether it is business, service, connection, laughter, or sorrow, is a human story.

So take Nikki's words into your weekend: “Be brave, smile, and always be kind to one another.”

13/07/2025

KISA Phone – The Easiest Mobile Phone for Seniors and People with Cognitive Challenges
Looking for a mobile phone that’s easy to use, safe, and built specifically for your loved one’s needs?
The KISA Phone is a custom-designed mobile phone created for individuals living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, vision impairment, intellectual disabilities, or age-related cognitive decline.

Unlike complex smartphones, the KISA Phone has:

No screen or confusing menus

Large, easy-press buttons with custom names and images

Clear, loud audio for effortless conversation

Fall detection

An SOS button for instant emergency help

Optional: GPS tracking to quickly locate the phone if the user becomes lost

Optional: reminders to support daily routines

Long battery life to reduce charging stress

Every KISA Phone is custom-built for the individual, making it one of the most accessible and reliable phones for people who find modern technology overwhelming.

Whether you're a caregiver, family member, or support worker, the KISA Phone offers peace of mind while empowering the user to stay connected, safe, and independent.

✅ Now available in New Zealand through Guardian Support Services – contact us today to find out about pricing, delivery, and design options.

03/07/2025

Alzheimers NZ is demanding urgent government action to provide better and more humane support for the rapidly growing number of New Zealanders with dementia requiring hospital-level care.

02/07/2025

Amy Vercoe disappeared from an Auckland retirement home while on respite care a month before Elisabeth Nicholls walked out of a Christchurch facility. Now, her husband is demanding change.