A Japanese dementia expert has visited Rotorua on a fact finding mission to look at the development of a dementia-friendly Rotorua.
According to the Rotorua Lakes Council website, Takehito Tokuda, a researcher and representative of the dementia-friendly initiative in Japan, heard of Rotorua's dementia-friendly steering group at a recent forum ahead of the Alzheimer's Disease International conference in Kyoto and wanted to come and see the work for himself.
It is estimated that dementia impacts two out of three New Zealander's in some way, and the number of people diagnosed with dementia is expected to rise to over 170,000 by 2050.
Rotorua's steering group, the first of its kind in New Zealand, was established in 2016 and one of the main aims of the group is to raise awareness about dementia so people can better understand what it is.
Most recently the group were behind Affinity, an interactive art installation at City Focus, that when activated by human touch, explored the effects of dementia.
The light sculpture was present for three weeks in April and seen by more than 8000 people.
Mr Tokuda met with the Dementia-Friendly Rotorua Steering-Group at Rotorua Lakes Council to hear about the work and share his experiences in Japan.
He also met with representatives from Alzheimer's New Zealand, Alzheimer's Rotorua, and visited care provider Whare Aroha CARE and Westpac Rotorua Central, Rotorua's first dementia-friendly bank.
Mr Tokuda had lunch at Bupa Redwood Retirement Village and Care Home, where he went for a spin in a trishaw - a three wheeled bike with a two-person carriage on the front.
The Trishaw is part of a movement called Cycling Without Age an initiative to make bike riding accessible to all ages.
After the visit to Rotorua Mr Tokuda said he was very impressed by the passion of people in Rotorua.
"I believe Rotorua will be the model for other communities that want to become dementia-friendly in New Zealand.
"I look forward to sharing our experiences between New Zealand and Japan from now on so that we can continue learning from each other," he said.
Dementia-Friendly Rotorua Steering Group Chair Rosemary Viskovic said it was excellent the efforts to develop awareness towards creating a dementia-friendly community in Rotorua were noted overseas too.
"We are so fortunate to have experts like Mr Tokuda interested in learning about our work in Rotorua.
"It is also a great opportunity for our steering group to learn what has worked in other countries that we might be able to tailor for our needs in Rotorua," she said.
Bupa's Dementia Care Advisor, Beth McDougal hosted Mr Tokuda for the day.
"The visit has reinforced that there's something each of us can do to help to build a more dementia-friendly community.
"The ideas are endless and the learnings from Japan reiterate that everyone has a role to play; A schoolteacher, a bank manager, a shop assistant or Joe Bloggs on the street, there is something each of us can do and it starts with learning more about dementia."
Find out more about creating a dementia-friendly Rotorua www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/dementiafriendlyrotorua
Find out more about dementia www.bupa.co.nz/dementiacommitment