Alzheimers Society Southland Inc.

07/09/2025

This Father’s Day, we honour all the dads, granddads, and father-figures we love!

To those we celebrate with today, and those we hold close in memory – you are cherished. ❤

05/09/2025

A major study examining the long-term brain health of former rugby players has found higher rates of neurodegenerative disease.

05/09/2025

What if we stopped trying to “fix” dementia distress and started looking differently at the problem instead?

That’s exactly what the Dementia Learning Centre is doing: using a systems-thinking lens to understand distress not as something to suppress, but as something to solve with the person, their whānau and the environment around them.

It’s a powerful shift, one that could transform how we care.

💡 Read more ➡️ https://ow.ly/pYs150WNWiF

🎓 And register for our upcoming Summit to explore these approaches alongside fellow leaders and practitioners ➡️ https://ow.ly/VIrU50WNWiI

05/09/2025

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for somewhere between 50-75% of all dementias.

Alzheimer’s Disease was first described in 1907 by a German neurologist, Alois Alzheimer. Microscopically, his patient’s brain showed characteristic changes: plaques and tangles.

The plaques are caused by a build-up of abnormal protein called “beta amyloid” outside the brain cells. The tangles inside the brain cells are formed by another protein called “tau”. The abnormal proteins prevent messages being passed between cells, damage connections and eventually cause cell death. As the cells die, the brain shrinks. This damage probably starts decades before dementia becomes apparent, but at a certain point, the brain stops compensating for cell loss and cannot function as before.

Learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease, what you might see in Alzheimer’s Disease, and things you can do that may help: https://dementia.nz/alzheimers-disease/

03/09/2025

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for somewhere between 50-75% of all dementias.

Learn about Alzheimer’s Disease, what you might see in Alzheimer’s Disease, and things you can do that may help: https://dementia.nz/alzheimers-disease/

01/09/2025

Read our latest Newsletter... Welcome Spring and World Alzheimer's Month

https://jumpshare.com/share/tnsale9ozAXTRxpwHKLL?fbclid=IwVERDUAMkzP5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHv9QK8HiTvYI8Ilo-1_39inmdFjVaZYTqvU4WZ5ts26sC89km3tzeidrgiDd_aem_WHGTEBV0JHE1bM2YcBx7JA

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01/09/2025

September is to help raise awareness of Alzheimers and dementia mate wareware around the world 🌏 This year’s theme is 📣

We want to shift public perceptions of dementia mate wareware by encouraging open conversations and challenging the stigma 💜

✨ Register now for our 2025 Summit 👉 https://ow.ly/8AbF50WNWmG

🌱 Become a Dementia Friend with our online 20-minute module 👉 https://ow.ly/lWhM50WNWmz

❓ If you’ve got a burning question, in the comments 🔥

Or find out more about how you can get involved on the Alzheimers NZ website 👉 https://ow.ly/wCUa50WNWmF

01/09/2025

🧠 September is World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
Across the globe, we’re raising awareness and challenging the stigma around Alzheimer’s and all forms of dementia. ❤️

Here in Aotearoa, let’s change attitudes, end discrimination, and create dementia-friendly communities where everyone feels supported. 🌿 Together, we can make a difference.

Learn more about Alzheimer's Disease: https://dementia.nz/alzheimers-disease/

30/08/2025

📖🎶 Storytelling and music each have a strong history of research showing their therapeutic value in dementia care. But what happens when you combine them?

This fascinating study (Chua et al., 2025) explored acousmatic storytelling — blending soundscapes, recorded voices, and music to spark memory, imagination, and social interaction in people living with dementia. The results showed that participants didn’t just reminisce, they:
• Found new ways to express themselves, even when words were hard to find
• Used gestures, humour, singing, and creative associations to stay connected
• Built stronger social bonds with peers and staff over time

It’s not just about reminiscence it’s about giving people ways to express themselves, connect with others, and strengthen their personhood in care settings.

To access the research go here 👉 https://ow.ly/oU3M50WJWHP

At the Dementia Learning Centre, we see this kind of research as more than interesting it’s practical inspiration. Tools like this will feature in our new Boots on the Ground Train the Trainer programme, launching next year, which helps services make change where it matters most: in practice. Places will be limited. To be the first to hear when the programme launches, sign up here ➡️ https://ow.ly/hC7T50WJWHO

30/08/2025

28/08/2025

28/08/2025

This World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we are proud to present What is Alzheimer’s Disease? - a Dementia Talk dedicated to deepening understanding and