Lay summary
The Māori population is ageing at a faster rate than their Pākehā counterparts. The number of Māori diagnosed with dementia will increase in the coming decades. International experience suggests there is a role for non-pharmacological intervention in the treatment of dementia. Until now there has never been a dementia intervention developed for Māori. In 2019, we worked with the Alzheimer's Society in Eastern Bay of Plenty and kaumātua of Ngāti Awa. We successfully modified Cognitive Stimulation Treatment (CST), an evidence-based group dementia intervention initially developed in the UK, for Māori. The efficacy of this newly modified intervention will need to be tested in a clinical trial. The aims of this research activation grant are to develop relationships and build skill/capacity in dementia services in five district health boards as part of our preparation to design the first dementia clinical trial for Māori.