Local Focus: Making new friends thanks to Alzheimer's Tauranga

Alzheimer's Tauranga is looking for volunteers who can give an hour a week to make a big difference to someone with dementia. Volunteers like Bruce Inglis.

"It actually wasn't a difficult decision on my part," Inglis said.

"I retired a number of years back now and was looking to do some community-type work. Having accompanied my father on an eight-year journey through Alzheimer's, I have a fair bit of empathy, if you like, for Alzheimer's."

Inglisvisits Malcolm Morris once a week at his home in Maungatapu.

"To me it's been an absolute win for me personally because not only did it actually answer one or two things that I was grappling with about Alzheimer's and the actual journey. Also I get the chance to meet some great people. Malcolm and I rabbit on like a couple of old blokes."

"We can see it, in different ways," Morris said.

Volunteering can be as simple as just popping round for a cuppa and a chat.

"I get a lot of pleasure in meeting people," Inglis said. "We can sit down and talk about anything and everything. It's surprising what comes up in conversation. Though we've had different lives and gone down different tracks. We do have a lot in common.

"More often than not we just stand there in the kitchen and have a yarn for an hour or so."

For Morris, it's the chance to hang out with a new friend.

"That's what I see ... is someone who I like and what more do you need?"

Alzheimer's Tauranga has 14 people with dementia who are looking for volunteers. To find out how to get involved visit Alzheimer's.org.nz/Tauranga.

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