In the nine years since he was diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimer’s he has dedicated himself to the advocacy and wellbeing of others sharing his journey.

Alister has been a member of the Alzheimer’s New Zealand Lived Experience Advisory Group since 2017 and is currently chairman of Dementia Alliance International (DAI).

“My involvement with DAI helped me realise how important our voice is, and that our story needs to be told to not only help raise awareness of dementia but hopefully reduce the stigma associated with this disease,” says Alister.

He plays a vital role with Dementia Hawke’s Bay, running online tutorials, support groups, gym sessions and is utilised for speaking engagements.

Alister realised how invaluable peer support groups are for people living with dementia. It enables them to learn from others and take comfort in knowing that some experiences are not unique to the individual. It is a powerful outcome when people understand each other with no explanation required.

The thing he is both most proud of and hopes will make the most difference is his role in the development and release of the Dementia Declaration, setting out what people living with dementia want to enable them to live their best possible lives. He’s also working with the wider dementia sector to develop the first New Zealand Dementia Plan so more support networks can be available and funded in the future.

Alister’s entrepreneurship is also going to leave a lasting legacy, as countless families will benefit from having the life story of a loved one documented on an app he spear-headed. After successfully applying for funding through MSD, Alister gathered an expert team of developers who brought to life his vision for an easy-to-use app, now used worldwide. Alister recognised that it was also a great tool for the person documenting their memories, as a form of reminiscence therapy. The app provides prompts to write down memories with the option to upload photos and audio.

Despite his huge contributions, Alister says when he got an email informing him of his nomination for a QSM, he thought it must have been spam.

“The following day I thought I had better double check in case it was for real, not expecting anything like this to be bestowed on me. It was a complete surprise and not something I had ever contemplated may happen. I have done advocacy work because I deem it important that people living with dementia have a voice and can still contribute in many meaningful ways – I don’t do it for personal recognition or award.”