Dementia Advisors contact details

K­āpiti Dementia Advisor

Sheena Farquhar This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  phone 020 4069 3919 

Porirua Dementia Advisor

Debbie Mustard This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  phone 020 4176 6629 

Northern Wellington Dementia Advisor

Liz O’Hare This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  phone 020 4153 1440

Central Wellington Dementia Advisor

Tina Carter This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  phone 020 4112 2196

Hutt Valley Dementia Advisor/Educator

Sarah Togher This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  phone  020 4025 2329

Dementia Advisor Referrals/Living Well Co-ordinator

Jackie Cole This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  phone 020 4025 2330 

Dementia Wellington Symposium 2021 postponed to March 2022

After careful consideration we have decided to postpone the symposium which was scheduled for 21 September.  Many of our speakers are from outside our region, and we feel that the strength of the Symposium is the face-to-face networking that occurs. 

A highlight of the symposium will again be the opportunity to hear first-hand from people living with dementia in their lives.  We also explore latest innovation and research, with a particular focus on Māori and Pacifica.  For the full programme  planned for 21 September SEE HERE (the new programme for Tuesday 8th March will be very similar to this).  

The new 2022 Westpac 'Let's talk about Dementia' Symposium will be a one-day event running from 8.30am to 3.30pm on Tuesday 8th March (Brain Awareness Month) at Te Papa, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington.  You are welcome to REGISTER HERE for this event at any time.  Places are limited so register early to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for the Westpac ‘Let's Talk about Dementia’ Symposium are very reasonably priced at $175 or $125 for those of you who work in Not-for-Profit organisations. People with dementia and carers are welcome to attend for FREE (but you still need to register).  

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any queries.

Dementia Essentials seminars - What you need to know about dementia

Dementia Wellington has developed a series of seminars to answer the most common questions we get about dementia.

Each topic will be presented by a subject matter expert, with opportunity for questions and discussion.

These seminars are open to anyone who supports somebody with dementia - you can register for all or just come along to one to find out about a specific topic.

These seminars are free although koha is much appreciated.

We are currently finalising our dates and venues for our seminars for 2022. 

To find out more, please contact Sarah Togher on 020 4025 2329 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VENUE – TBC

TIME - TBC

Dementia Wellington runs lots of activities for people affected by dementia across the wider Wellington region - from Kapiti, Porirua, Wellington and the Hutt Valley. 

These include our Cog Cafes (short for 'Cognition' cafes) which are casual monthly meet-ups for people with dementia and their supporters, family or carers.

There are also regular Supporter Groups that are specifically designed for those who are caring for someone with dementia.

Our Dementia Advisors also run Clinic sessions where they are regularly available for one-on-one advice or even just a listening ear.

There are also other groups that we run, talk to your Dementia Advisor to see if these are right for you.

As we are at Covid Alert Level 2 Delta, please also check our Covid 19 Updates and changes. 

See our booklet Support and Resources 2021 (PDF) for an outline of all the services and courses we are offering in 2021.

See our schedule 'What's coming up - October, November, December'  for dates, venues and times to help you plan. 

It's never too early to start thinking about Advance Care Planning. We plan for finances, and think about insuring property and contents, so why not do the same for your future health care?

Advance care planning helps you, the important people in your life and your health care team plan for your end-of-life care.

It helps you understand what the future might hold, and to say what health care you would or would not want. This makes it much easier for everyone to understand your wishes – especially if you can no longer speak for yourself.

An advance care plan is a way for people to think about, talk about and share what matters to them now in case they are unable to say it later.

Who would you like to speak for you if you can’t?

Sarah Togher is a Dementia Advisor here at Dementia Wellington. She talks about advance care planning and dementia as part of a new series of videos released by the Health Quality & Safety Commission.

You can watch all four videos at: https://bit.ly/3y3CiYG

To find out more and to begin your Advance Care Plan, go to www.myacp.org.nz

Come along to a Navigating Dementia information session!

These ninety-minute information sessions are open to anyone keen to find out more about what dementia is, what to do if you’re concerned about changes in memory or thinking, ideas for living well with dementia, and the support and resources available. 

The seminar covers:

• Assessment and diagnosis of cognitive impairment,
• What is and what isn’t dementia,
• How to maximise brain health and function,
• Plus the supports and services available for people living with dementia.

Upcoming dates and venues for Navigating Dementia information sessions are: 

Thursday 20 January 2022    1-2.30pm.

Old Mill Function Lounge in Paraparaumu. The car park and entrance to the venue is found at the rear of the building off 7 Hinemoa Street, Paraparaumu.

This information session is free although a koha is most appreciated.

Please note - As instructed by the Ministry of Health, all Dementia Wellington staff are vaccinated against Covid 19. To minimise risk to our clients, we request that only those that are vaccinated or are exempt from vaccination attend. While we encourage everyone to be vaccinated if possible, we continue to support unvaccinated members of our community by one-on-one appointments, telephone, Zoom or other electronic mediums.

To find out more or to register for this information session, please contact Sarah Togher phone 020 4025 2329 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For your information as instructed by the Ministry of Health, all Dementia Wellington staff and volunteers are double vaccinated against Covid 19.

To minimise risk to our clients, we request that only clients who are also double vaccinated or exempt from vaccination attend our group activities.

While we encourage everyone to be vaccinated, if possible, we will continue to support unvaccinated members of our community by one-to-one appointments, telephone, Zoom or other electronic mediums.

THANK YOU to the special organisations that allow us to help people living with dementia to stay active and engaged in our community. 

Without the generous funding we receive from trusts, grants, and businesses, many of our Living Well activities and education would not be available.  Click here to read more about our funders.

If you or your person with dementia is finding your usual round of golf is getting to be a bit too much, the Royal Wellington Golf Club offers a golf afternoon with just nine holes and volunteer golfers to provide support.  The team is happy to pick up, bring to the golf course and drop home. Lunch at the golf course is part of the experience. 

Volunteers usually pick up golfers from home at about 10.45am to meet at the Royal Wellington Golf Course clubhouse 11.15am. Lunch is at 11.30am then everyone gathers at the driving range around 12pm. Tee off at 12.30pm on Terrace course for nine holes. Afterwards, everyone meets in the clubhouse for a for cup of tea/coffee at around 3pm. Volunteers then drive the golfer home at around 4pm. 

Cost is $20 per person, including a golf cart for those that need it.  We are grateful to the Royal Wellington Golf Club for generously supporting and subsidising our Assisted Golf programme. 

Please note that previous golf experience is essential.

To register or find out more contact:

John Mathews - phone 027 445 4321 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tone Borren - phone 021 494 130 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.