It's great to be here, and I'd like to thank Presbyterian Support New Zealand Chair Helen Trim for the welcome.

Dementia is a debilitating and cruel illness, affecting memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion, and it's one of the biggest diseases affecting our senior citizens. One of the worst side-effects -- comes not from those who have dementia, but from wider society - that is, the stigma and ignorance around dementia.

I am told that an estimated 40,000 people in NZ have dementia, with more than 12,000 new cases reported every year.

Unfortunately it's a disease that will only grow in scale. By 2050 it is estimated that nearly 150,000 New Zealanders will have dementia - that's greater than the population of Hamilton - and globally, over 100 million people.

The incidence of dementia, as you know, increases with age, with a third of those over 90 years of age having dementia.  However, this illness is just not the realm of senior citizens - it affects younger people too. I've heard of people as young as 50 being diagnosed with this disease.

But the sufferers aren't only those with this disease. Families also endure the illness, losing their loved ones slowly and silently.

New Zealand faces a myriad of challenges as it strives to support those with dementia and their families in the decades to come.

Our ageing population means a large increase in the number of those in the "very old" age group - people over 85.

With this anticipated increase in the ageing population, services need to become even more skilled in providing the right care for people living with dementia.

It is clear that the expectations of people have changed. They've told us they want to greater choice, quality and a more personalised service that meets their individual and family needs.

Our carers are also having to manage the changing face of dementia.

While most people with dementia are European and female and this is likely to continue in the future, current projections suggest that as the ethnic profile of our population changes, it will be smaller ethnic populations that will see the most dramatic increases in dementia.

We know that the best way to support people with dementia is through a combination of services and interventions - from their families, organisations providing support in the community, such as Enliven Positive Ageing; and as the illness progresses, homes and hospitals.

In preparing for this meeting, I did a little research on what Presbyterian Support is doing in conjunction with others who provide services for people living with dementia.

I know that Presbyterian Support's Enliven Positive Ageing is an example of what can be done in our communities to assist those with dementia, and workshops like this one are important in sharing innovation and best practice so that we are well prepared for the future.

From a government perspective, we recognise a partnership approach represents the best outcome to addressing the needs of those living with dementia, and we are committed to meeting the needs of dementia sufferers and their families by examining the entire approach to treatment and care.

To succeed, we need to work closer together, both government and non-government organisations to ensure that older people have good choices for the services they require.

I have been told about initiatives that have been implemented at an older person's mental health service, which is working towards Centre of Excellence status, and I'd like to share these with you.

Their journey includes service and team development with educational input at a local, national and international level. This has optimised the patients' journey, increased job satisfaction and led to a more cohesive and energised workforce.

Your National Executive Officer, Katherine Noble, has told me that Presbyterian Support Upper South Island and the Canterbury District Health Board are engaged in a pilot called SupportLink involving the reconfiguration of Older Persons Social Work, Community Support Worker and Day Activity programmes services.

Katherine told me SupportLink is a wrap-around model of care with a holistic approach involving the integration and support of the person with dementia and their carers, assisting them to live safely in their own community environment.

The model is catering for both urban and rural clients with moderate to complex cognitive impairment.

Staff are challenged by their changing roles, often facilitating change in both traditional thinking, and to find creative solutions to client centred community care.

If success is measured in outcomes of reduced carer stress, safe quality time at home, increased socialisation with reduced isolation in preference to relocation to a residential facility then SupportLink is the winner on the day.

Presbyterian Support Northern last year took an opportunity to establish a pilot service that would identify lonely older people who were at risk of being isolated with the aim of assisting them to socially reconnect with their communities.

One year later, the pilot has evolved differently to initial expectations, instead highlighting a much needed service for people with Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia, and their carers.

Presbyterian Support Northern's Enliven service and Alzheimer's New Zealand field workers are working together to identify ways to meet a need for social work and close interaction with those with Dementia and their carers.

The success of these initiatives is a tribute to the hard work and innovation of all those involved.

I know there are many other stories like these in this room and I'm looking forward to hearing about some of the outcomes from your discussions.

Workshops like this one help us to share solutions and learnings so we can get the best possible outcome for everyone affected.

Thank you all for being here and for your ongoing commitment to the wellbeing of older New Zealanders.