About Us

The Young Onset Dementia Collective was formed by a group of wives, husbands, partners looking to improve the lives of people living with younger onset dementia and their carers.

Younger Onset Dementia is used to describe any form of dementia that develops in people under the age of 65. Dementia has been diagnosed in people in their 50s, 40s and even in their 30s. It is sometimes called early onset dementia.

Between 5 and 10% of all people with dementia are under the age of 65. Younger people experience different symptoms to older people and the impact on their lives is likely to be significantly greater. Many are still working, have young families and financial commitments.

If we really want to do right by people with dementia, we have to care for the carers.

The Young Onset Dementia Collective looks to:

fill service gaps specifically for younger people living with dementia with age-appropriate opportunity and care.
provide age-appropriate support and services keeping them connected with the community and each other
provide necessary support for care partners
provide opportunity for socialisation and engagement on a regular basis.
provide opportunity to connect with each other with a focus on the wellbeing of people living with dementia and their carers.

The Young Onset Dementia Collective overall objectives are to:

keep young onset people living dementia connected and active lives within their communities. 
provide opportunity for socialisation and wider visibility to help promote awareness and breakdown stigma associated with dementia, specifically young onset. 
To create a model of age-appropriate care for people living with young onset dementia that can be replicated nationally. 
To support and enable people with younger onset dementia to keep living their best life for as long as possible. 
To develop and nurture a pool of volunteers within local communities to support people living with younger onset dementia. 
To look towards a purpose-based age-appropriate facility for younger onset dementia day stay and ability to support overnight care within a safe and familiar environment with likeminded people, which also provides much needed respite for carers.

Our charitable status is facilitated through Auckland Foundation which holds Young Onset Dementia Collective as a sub-fund also managing reporting and compliance on our behalf. 

Your donation will help us help ourselves and others living with younger onset dementia. 

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