Awareness of dementia in New Zealand
In 2014, Alzheimers NZ conducted a research study to measure the level of awareness and understanding of dementia, and of Alzheimers NZ, amongst the New Zealand public. In 2015, Alzheimers NZ repeated a shortened version of the 2014 benchmark survey.
From the research conducted we can conclude the following:
- Many New Zealanders are touched by dementia – two-thirds of those surveyed knew or had known someone with dementia.
- New Zealanders are better informed about dementia than expected, but nearly half (46%) need more information.
- New Zealanders do fear dementia. More than a third of respondents stated that dementia is one of the things they fear most about getting older. 15 percent said they fear dementia more than any other condition, second only to cancer.
- There are still some knowledge gaps out there – with over half of New Zealanders incorrectly believing that dementia is not a fatal condition and over a quarter believing it is a normal part of the ageing process.
Changes between 2014 and 2015
Most of the findings from the 2015 survey are consistent with findings from the 2014 benchmark survey. The demographics surveyed have become more knowledgeable:
- Unprompted knowledge for Maori respondents has improved
- There is increased awareness that Alzheimer’s is a fatal disease or condition
- More people are concerned how a person with dementia might act in public than in 2014