In the early 1980s there was little public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in New Zealand and virtually no support services for people with dementia and their carers. This prompted a small group of Christchurch social workers to form the first ever support group in New Zealand dedicated to helping people care for those with dementia. Initially known as ADARDS (Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders Society), the organisation grew into Alzheimers Canterbury at a regional level, with 20 other regional groups around the country. In 2016, Canterbury left the Alzheimers Federation and re-branded as Dementia Canterbury. Dementia Affiliates cover 70% of New Zealand’s population. Dementia Canterbury’s services cover all of Canterbury including the Ashburton region, North Canterbury, and Kaikoura, as well as the West Coast. In 2022 Dementia Canterbury moved to our new purpose built home in the BrainTree Wellness Centre. BrainTree is the result of a collaboration between Dementia Canterbury and MS and Parkinson’s Canterbury who are the joint shareholders. BrainTree provides space for a number of other disability/neurological providers to be located and deliver services.
