Full course description
Modality: Online - Asynchronous
Duration: 3 hours (required to complete this course)
Price: $99.00 (Incl. GST)
Living with dementia and caring for someone living with dementia (mate wareware) can be challenging, especially when everyday environments feel confusing or overwhelming. This short course will help you understand how dementia affects the way we see, understand, and move through our surroundings—and what we do to make things easier.
You’ll learn simple, practical ways to adapt your home or care setting to reduce stress, support independence, and create a greater sense of safety and comfort. Small changes can make a big difference—helping us feel more confident, included, and at ease.
The course also highlights the importance of dignity, choice, and respect in everyday care, recognising that the environment plays a key role in a person’s wellbeing. Grounded in the Aotearoa New Zealand context, it is founded on kaupapa Māori values that support a holistic, inclusive approach.
Whether you are wanting to design for yourself or supporting a family member, friend, care facility or someone in your community, this course will give you practical tools and insights you can apply straight away.
Short course structure and topics covered:
This course gives a clear introduction to dementia (mate wareware) and explores how the places we live, work, and visit can either support or challenge people living with dementia. We look at dementia as a human rights issue and draw on kaupapa Māori values to guide more inclusive, respectful, and culturally responsive design.
You’ll learn about Aotearoa New Zealand—our population, cultural perspectives, and the importance of place—and why thoughtful design can make a meaningful difference for people living with dementia mate wareware and their whānau.
Short course benefits and learning outcomes:
By the completing this course, you will be able to:
- Apply a human rights lens and kaupapa Māori values to understand how dementia mate wareware relates to the design of homes and shared spaces.
- Describe what dementia‑friendly design looks like in Aotearoa New Zealand and identify the differing needs of diverse communities.
- Explain how thoughtful design supports the health, safety, and dignity of people living with dementia, drawing on knowledge of how dementia, ageing, and cognitive decline affect daily life.
Who should attend? Any entry requirements?
- People who live with dementia or are caring for someone living with dementia.
- People who shape our built environments (including care practitioners, architects, developers, interior designers, social housing providers, renovators and builders).
No prior knowledge or experience is required.
Payment for short courses is normally by credit card. If you need to pay by invoice or require assistance, please email shortcourses@auckland.ac.nz. Please note the University does not issue individual invoices for amounts less than $500 New Zealand dollars.
By enrolling in a Short Course at the University of Auckland you agree to the Short Course Terms and Conditions