Dementia research Mate ware ware

Many whānau and families provide unpaid, often exhausting, care every week for loved ones living with mate ware ware (dementia).

The aims of this study are to explore the nature and extent of current social services and support for these whānau and families; the social work practice frameworks that are in place for working with whānau and family carers; and the nature of any gaps and challenges to effective social work practice, as perceived by specialist social workers and social service providers. 

The findings will be used to enhance the depth and quality of social work education, practice and service delivery to these whānau and family carers. In collaboration with specialist social workers in this field of practice, we plan to develop an innovative and creative Tiriti-partnership approach to social work education and practice for this community. We envisage the practice framework will grow from the wisdom and knowledge of the study participants and be based on the pōu (pillars) of Ngā Tikanga Matatika, our Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.

 It is planned that the prototype practice framework will be integrated into the curriculum for our Bachelor of Social Work and an article published in the Australian New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Research and Education journal ‘Advances’ as a way of sharing the learning and developing practice for social workers across Australia and New Zealand.

This research is a collaboration with Dr Sarah Fraser, Lisa Gant, Lynn Bruning, Dr Annie Fay and Emz Scwhass.