These authors undertook kaupapa Māori research with 223 kaumātua who participated in 17 focus groups across 7 study regions throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and 8 whānau from the Waikato region with an aim to determine Māori understandings of dementia, its causes, and ways to manage a whānau member with this condition. Five main themes emerged: Ngā Pūtake (causes); Ngā Rongoā (protective factors); Aroha and Manaakitanga (acceptance of illness and behaviour change); Kaitiakitanga (caregiving); and Ngā Ratonga (dementia services). It was identified that mate wareware (becoming forgetful and unwell, ‘dementia’) affects the wairua (spiritual dimension) of Māori. The study revealed Māori understandings of the causes of mate wareware and the role of aroha (love, compassion) and manaakitanga (hospitality, kindness, generosity, support, caring) involved in caregiving for whānau living with mate wareware. The study emphasised that whānau are crucial for the care of a kaumātua with mate wareware and that participants perceived that cultural activities were protective factors that optimised a person’s functioning within their whānau and community. There is an urgent need for culturally appropriate and comprehensive support to assist whānau with their knowledge building and empowerment to meet the needs of those with mate wareware. A collaborative healthcare practice with practitioners accessing the necessary mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) is paramount.
