Meeting 82-year-old Shirley*, it’s plainly clear what she would have been like as a young girl – full of energy, vitality and a wicked sense of humour which probably got her into plenty of trouble.

She’s fiercely independent and loves her apartment in a sunny Auckland retirement village. She loves reading, going to the movies and can’t wait to watch her favourite TV shows. She’s a proud mother and grandmother and has recently developed a passion for art through her association with one of Dementia Auckland’s Art Groups.

Shirley was diagnosed with dementia | mate wareware in 2023. It wasn’t a diagnosis she welcomed, but she is philosophical about it.

“I’ve admitted it from the start – what’s the point of not?” Shirley says in a voice that still carries just the hint of a Scottish burgh, not diminished by over 70 years away from her motherland.

“I’m aware that I do the odd daft thing, my brain doesn’t work like it does. I lose words – I have to write everything down. No point in getting angry about it!”

Nicola Brenton, Senior Dementia Advisor at Dementia Auckland, is one of Shirley’s many admirers and looks forward to her visits with Shirley.

“I first met Shirley after she phoned us in early 2024 asking for support after receiving her Alzheimers diagnosis,” said Nicola. “I met with her and Simon shortly afterwards, and we talked things through. Since then, I’ve had many wonderful conversations with Shirley,  Simon*, and her daughter Francis*, and they know to contact me as needed.

“Shirley is amazing – she’s insightful, independent and very proactive about her health and wellbeing.”

The admiration is reciprocated by Shirley. “I absolutely love Nicola,” she exclaims. “She’s one of my special people – she’s helped me with practical things, like obtaining a Total Mobility Card to access discounted taxis, and given me strategies and advice about how to manage my poor memory and word finding difficulties! I love the art class that she’s organised for me.”

Shirley attends an art class once a week – while she admits she’s no Rembrandt, she loves the opportunity to get out and meet others and sneak in a visit to her favourite coffee shop for a special treat.

“I want to be able to live my life to the full,” she says. “That means, doing what I can while I can. Whether that’s shopping with my daughter-in-law, going to a movie with my friends, or my wonderful art class.

“I write everything down – I look at my diary every day to make sure I know what’s what. It can be frustrating losing my words and thoughts, but with the support of Simon and Fiona* [Shirley’s daughter-in-law] and the people at Dementia Auckland, I’ve got plenty of life in me yet.”

Shirley’s daughter, Francis, is delighted to see her mum keeping her independence for as long as possible.

“I was lucky to attend an art group session with Mum on a recent visit from my home overseas. I could see that it has become a transformative part of her life, and it is absolutely not to be missed each week! The facilitators have built a beautiful, supportive and creative community around art, and the group is challenging, fun and rewarding. Mum is learning new skills and making fabulous outcomes which she shares with us.”

Dementia Auckland has advisors throughout the Auckland area who are able to visit and provide guidance, information and support to people who live at home and have a diagnosis of dementia | mate wareware and their whānau.

We offer home visits, carer education programmes, support groups for carers and our living well groups, which run across the city. People can ask their GP or health care provider for a referral to us, or they can self-refer by filling out a carer/whānau referral form on our website.

*  Names have been changed to protect confidentiality