Letter of the Month – September 2024

Dr Lester Levy

Commissioner

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Wellington

Cc: Margie Apa, Chief Executive, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Dr Shane Reti, Minister of Health

Dear Dr Levy

The need for Government funding support for Alzheimers Wairarapa

We are writing to you on behalf of Alzheimers Wairarapa, where we face significant challenges. 

In our case those challenges stem from the fact we do not receive any Government funding whatsoever for the provision of community-based Alzheimer’s and dementia support services in the Wairarapa.

We are the only community-based dementia support group in the country that doesn’t receive any

Government funding and never has. Our work is entirely resourced through local fundraising efforts, donations and the willingness and commitment of selfless volunteers.

From statistics based on Census data, it is estimated there are some 620 people living with dementia

in the Wairarapa and, at the moment, we can only support 113 of them because of this lack of funding.

For logistical and resourcing reasons, most of those whom we can support live close to Masterton.

Our resources don’t allow us to operate much in the South Wairarapa or in rural areas.

We are devastated for the hundreds of people in the region living with dementia, and their carers and whanau, who can’t get the support they so desperately need. We are also aware of the increasing prevalence of dementia, which is projected to increase by over 240 per cent in coming years, creating an even bigger demand for our services – a demand which we will not be able to meet without Government support. Additionally, the Wairarapa region is a region where the population is ageing at a higher rate than the national average. As a result, the region is likely to be worse affected by this anticipated increase than others.

Alzheimers Wairarapa operates on a budget of around $100,000 p.a. to provide current services, all of which is raised through fundraising, grants and legacies. Over the past two years, our Board (all

volunteers) have worked tirelessly to prepare and present a proposal to Health New Zealand | Te

Whatu Ora for new services in South Wairarapa. Following several meetings with local representatives, we had the impression our request for funding would be received favourably. However, once again we were declined with very little explanation and no reason given as to why the people of Wairarapa were being disadvantaged over the rest of the country.

We appreciate the health sector is under enormous pressure on a variety of fronts. But so, too, are

many people in the Wairarapa who are living with dementia, and cannot access the care and support

they desperately need and deserve.

We also understand the competing financial and resourcing pressures facing Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora but we also know the return on this investment – both in terms of money saved by

supporting people to live for longer in their community, and the very real and tangible human benefits which far outweigh the minimal costs.

We are sure you appreciate the considerable policy and fiscal benefits of initiatives that delay people’s entry into care.

The Dementia Economic Impact Report 2020 indicates it is four times more cost-effective to keep

people at home and that is what our service is proven to do and has done for the past 20 years. Not

only do we help our community in their homes, we save the Government money.

The $100,000 p.a. we are seeking for additional services would be life-changing for our community.

We urge you to reconsider this funding request and we would welcome the opportunity to meet with

you to discuss this matter in more detail.

To illustrate how significant this is for our community and the support Alzheimers Wairarapa enjoys, we have approached members of our community to co-sign this letter.

Kind regards

Jude Clark

Chair

Alzheimers Wairarapa