Hamilton’s Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust is making waves with technology supporting kaumātua with their cognitive thinking and wellbeing, using artificial intelligence.
After attending the International Federation of Ageing conference in Bangkok last year trust officials found super-ageing countries were heavily investing in technology to help ageing populations.
Hokikau Chase Purcell (Ngāti Tuwharetoa) is participating in the Kaumātua Mana Motuhake programme, a partnership between the trust and charity organisation the Selwyn Foundation.
The programme aims to develop their thinking using curated AI brain games to target their cognitive functioning.
“I feel with technology all the senses come into play. I feel that is the really most important thing for me of being kaumātua.
“We’re so old. Well, I feel I am so old that we don’t use our senses, the five senses. But when you’re in the front of technology and in this instance, about brainstorming with the games, it triggers your thinking. All your senses are working.”
Research commissioned by the Selwyn Foundation found more than 30,000 seniors in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau Northland were experiencing many disadvantages including inequity, vulnerability and marginalisation.
Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust chair Rangimahora Reddy (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Waikato-Tainui) said more work needed to be done to keep up with the growing elder population.
“First we’re basically getting our kaumātua to share what they want to do, how they want to do it, and we’re using our rangatahi to help inform us what they enjoy doing in terms of gaming and why they enjoy it.
“So we might learn from the expertise they might have to offer because what we seek to develop is not only for our kaumauta of today but also our kaumatua of tomorrow.”
Reddy said there weren’t enough resources out there for the ageing population.
“There are resources missing. There are initiatives, our Ageing Well National Science challenge, for example.
“Those are the sorts of initiatives that we need to help our communities better prepare for with an ageing population.”
Purcell said technology was the medicine to help with her dementia, as it kept the brain active.
“I can only imagine technology being a vital rongoa because, just imagine I’m 88, just imagine if it kept kuia and koroua at a younger age.
“What’s their lifespan gonna be like? What’s their brain power gonna be like? What’s their thinking going to be like? It can promote more quality life.”