Go With Grace

14/04/2026

*** NEW PODCAST ***
Michael Nestmann: Assisted Dying in New Zealand
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In this episode, Katy talks to Michael Nestmann from Te Whatu Ora about the Assisted Dying service in New Zealand.

Michael takes us through how the assisted dying legislation came about, and who is currently eligible for the service which was made first available in late 2021.

He walks us through the entire process, explaining who is involved, how decisions are made, and how an individual's wishes are honoured. We also talk about how the service could improve in the future and why health professionals can't talk about it more openly.

Listen on Spotify 👇
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OePkLoGinBKrcsmvvZa1u?si=rrwz3kA5RFyKf9G9Q18kzA

Manager of the Community and Mental Health Autonomy Team for Te Whatu Ora, Michael takes us through how the assisted dying legislation came about, and who is currently eligible for the service which was made first available in late 2021.

10/03/2026

https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/lifestyle/the-modern-conundrum-of-scattering-human-ashes

With every milestone, including death, being shaped by social media, scattering ashes can become a spectacle that clashes with Māori beliefs and local bylaws.

07/03/2026

This month, we're featuring a few of the dementia related resources from the Go With Grace website to get you started...

📌My Life’s Journey app uses reminiscence therapy to guide users to record and reflect on moments that weave together the story of their life.
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/my-lifes-journey-app

📌'Managing Dementia' video with Trudi Bridges from Alzheimers Northland, recorded as part of Dying Matters Week 2025 in Whangārei.
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/managing-dementia

📌'The Menopause Brain' book. Dr. Lisa Mosconi is a neuroscientist who directs an Alzheimer’s Prevention Program and Women’s Brain Initiative. Her work focuses on brain health across the lifespan, including during menopause. Her book focuses on how midlife changes relate to later dementia risk and how to mitigate this risk.
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/the-menopause-brain

📌'Listen' book by Dr Kathryn Mannix. Conversations that matter and how to have them better, more honestly, more confidently and without regret. A family losing someone to terminal illness. A friend noticing the first signs of someone’s dementia, all with radically different perspectives
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/listen

Visit Go With Grace to explore over 600 books, playlists, videos, journals, tools and more, with information about end-of-life planning, farewell planning, grief and loss.
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Explore all resoruces at https://gowithgrace.nz/resources/

05/03/2026

An EPOA (Enduring Power of Attorney) is argueably one of the most important legal tools in New Zealand if someone develops dementia.

It allows a person to choose in advance who can make decisions for them if they lose mental capacity (before it happens). This needs to be set up as early as possible, before dementia progresses too far. The person must still have legal mental capacity at the time they sign the EPOA.

If someone with dementia: forgets to pay rates, falls for a scam or refuses necessary medical care but no longer understands the situation, the EPOA allows their chosen person to step in legally and protect them.

Read more. Link in the comments below 👇

03/03/2026

In our conversations with community, dementia is a topic that is becoming more and more common. Affecting thousands of people and their whānau across New Zealand, recent studies confirm 83,000 people are currently living with dementia.

While there is still no cure, research is deepening our understanding of prevention, early detection and management and there are growing opportunities to support brain health and quality of life.

According to Alzheimers New Zealand and a recent University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau study:

📌Three Kiwis are developing dementia every hour
📌By 2050, nearly 170,000 New Zealanders could be living with dementia
📌Unpaid carers (family & friends) provide 62.5 million hours of care each year

Find out more in our spotlight on dementia at https://gowithgrace.nz/gwg-news/what-families-in-aotearoa-need-to-know-about-dementia/

02/03/2026

What does dementia-friendly Aotearoa look like?
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To make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia, their carers and whānau; Alzheimers New Zealand has created free programmes and initiatives that contribute towards a dementia-friendly New Zealand.

“We want Aotearoa New Zealand to be an open and inclusive society – a friendly place where people living with dementia can exercise their right to feel valued and safe, and where they can contribute to and participate in their communities, and where they get the help and support they need.”

Find out more about their free programmes for individuals and organisations at https://alzheimers.org.nz/explore/dementia-friendly-nz/become-a-dementia-friend

25/02/2026

**NEW PODCAST EPISODE**
Moving Memories: Saving Life Stories for Future Generations
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In this episode, Katy talks to Nicola Kane, who is on a mission to save as many life stories as possible!

Nicola set up Moving Memories after losing her Dad in 2018. Regretfully, with him went many of his stories and memories, and Nicola wants to make sure other families don’t face the same loss.

Nicola supports whānau to capture the life memories of loved ones, in a beautiful legacy video that can be passed down through future generations. As well as recording stories, she believes a video also captures the true essence of the storyteller – their voice, personality, quirks, mannerisms and all the things you just can’t capture in written form.

This is a true passion project for Nicola - she describes it as the best job in the world!

🎙️Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NUYM5bBmCpgdB29MjXhTK?si=Lq9gVKuvTwOSM3LeYloJUg

22/02/2026

March 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS
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📆8 March - Death Cafe Lower
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/death-cafe-lower-hutt/
📆20 March - Brain Health Symposium
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/2026-brain-health-symposium/
📆21 March - Family-led Funerals Workshop (Auckland)
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/family-led-funerals-workshop/
📆21 March - DIY Funeral Workshop (Kapiti)
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/diy-funeral-workshop-kapiti/
📆 22 March - Death Cafe Manawatu
📆28 March - Hospice Tairawhiti Long Lunch
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/hospice-tairawhiti-long-lunch-wearable-arts/
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View all upcoming events at https://gowithgrace.nz/resources/events/

02/02/2026

**Planning Ahead for Later Life – Make 2026 Your Year**

The holiday break often brings whānau together, creating space for kōrero we don’t typically make time for. Did any conversations come up this holiday season about:What matters to you as you age?; Your wishes if you were to get sick?; What a good death might look like for you?

These conversations can be hard, emotional, and deeply personal, but they can also bring peace of mind for both you and your loved ones. If they didn’t happen, that’s okay. It’s never too late to begin.

Make 2026 your year to get your affairs in order so you can embrace the present more wholeheartedly!

We’ve put together five simple steps to get your planning journey started.
1. End-of-Life Planning
2. Healthcare Planning
3. Legal Planning
4. Financial Planning
5. Support Team Planning

👉Read our planning guide at: https://gowithgrace.nz/gwg-news/new-years-action-list/

02/02/2026

February 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS
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📆9 Feb - Free Ageing & Caring Together Well Symposium
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ccreate-age-8a5256271_the-ageing-and-caring-well-together-symposium-activity-7417767719867076608-gBOe/

📆10 Feb - Free Workshop: Behind the Scenes with a Funeral Director
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/workshop-behind-the-scenes-with-a-funeral-director/

📆12 Feb - 2026 Assisted Dying Conference
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/2026-conference-imagining-the-ideal-assisted-dying-service/

📆21 Feb - The Threshold Practice: A Mortality Mindfulness Event
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/the-threshold-practice-a-mortality-mindfulness-experience/

📆22 Feb - Death Cafe North Canterbury
https://gowithgrace.nz/product/death-cafe-north-canterbury/
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View all upcoming events at https://gowithgrace.nz/resources/events/

30/01/2026

**NEW PODCAST EPISODE**
Beautiful Farewells: Advice from a Funeral Celebrant

In this episode, Katy sits down with Libby Carson, a celebrant and executive member of Celebrants Aotearoa New Zealand, to explore how farewells are evolving. Libby reflects on her personal experiences and shares stories and practical advice for families who are facing funeral planning for the first time. She also gives a preview of their upcoming Behind the Scenes with a Funeral Director workshop.

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0gNjAmWme1kjUz2Qg4b1Pj?si=kvbCi3e5RFC7t6nTUP3wcg

23/01/2026

**NEW PODCAST EPISODE**
Treza Gallogly: Providing Holistic End of Life Support through ELDAA

In this episode, Katy talks to Treza Gallogly, delving into an old profession that has resurfaced around the world in the last few decades, and more recently in Aotearoa. There is a growing movement of doulas across the country and one of the people behind this growing movement is Treza Gallogly, the Chair of ELDAA - the End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa.

🎙Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/62CG5enjImpFKRsHwvHJvJ?si=Q7GLYzGBS2qiPAeGt6Vhig