(CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Hello Kiwis! I'm Paddy Gower and I have got issues. On the show we investigate issues big and small that are important to all of us. Tonight ` this country is facing a tidal wave of dementia and we aren't even close to being ready for it. And Karen investigates why we always call bugs 'him' or 'he' when clearly not all bugs are boys. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023 (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) Tonight my issue is with dementia. Now, dementia destroys families and it kills. It's brutal. And we will meet some of its victims tonight. Now, this isn't nice to say, but dementia takes the person that you know and love away, but leaves their living body behind. Like I said, brutal. Now, I went to see James Kingi, who has got dementia, and I can say that I've never felt so much love and grief and laughter in one room at the same time as when I met with him and his whanau. I learned a lot from them and New Zealand can too. And we need to, because dementia is already severely testing the health system in this country. Our ability to care for these people is at breaking point and families, I'm sorry to say, are at breaking point too. And as our population ages, it's going to get worse ` much worse. One expert we talked to said we are wholly unprepared for this. I call this a tsunami of dementia and it is bearing down on us right now. This really is an issue for all of us. Now, tonight I'm joined again by ace News Hub reporter and my ace friend, Alice Wilkins. Karen 'Positive Result' O'Leary is also here but not allowed to be here as our community investigator. And Courtney Dawson and Eli Mattheweson are here as our News Desk. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Paddy. So exciting. It's our last episode for the year. I'm gonna miss you guys, although we're gonna hang out over summer, eh? - Are we? - Yeah, I'm gonna` I'm gonna come around. You just need to let me know your address. - I'm not gonna give you my address. - Just text it to me. - I'm not gonna text you anything. (LAUGHTER) - I'd love to have your phone number to reach out. - You can message me on LinkedIn and we'll see what we can do. (LAUGHTER) All right. Now, I didn't realise that dementia was such a massive issue for this country until we asked people about it, and we got a real flood of responses of everybody telling us the same sort of story, Alice. What have you found out investigating it? - Yeah, everyone knows someone impacted by dementia and they all talk about the same thing, Paddy ` the guilt that they feel, the loss that they feel. No matter their financial situation, the emotional side of this is the same for everyone. - Yeah. And I went to see a family called the Kingi family. Jim Kingi, who's down there, he's a koro, a grandfather and his grandson, James, is his full-time carer. I went to see them. They're amazing. (SOFT MUSIC) - Well, we're really lucky to have a place like this. - Yeah, man. - Even though he doesn't know where he is, eh. You know? It's comfort for us just to know he's at home, really. He's exactly where he'd wanna be. He wouldn't wanna be anywhere else. - So he's here with his whanau on his whenua. - 24 /7. Always somebody that loves him... - Constantly with them. - Yeah, constantly with him. - Jim Kingi has had dementia for six years. - (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) - His 30-year-old grandson, James, cares for him at home in Thames. Do you usually hold hands when you're with him? - Yeah, yeah. Majority of the time, eh, if I'm out and about with him. Nah. It's... I feel like it's, sort of, more a comfort thing, eh? I just enjoy just holding his hand, eh, you know? Just feeling him. - You like that feeling? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you just gotta make the most of every` every moment that we got. Good morning, mate. Hello. - Over the past two years, he's shared their many heartfelt stories with tens of thousands of TikTok followers. - Got our fences going up today, whanau. Looking good, eh, Jim? Yeah. Now you can't run away. - Yeah. - Does he always wanna move? - He's always on the go. Just busy, busy, busy. - Yeah. - He moves with intention, eh? When you look at him, when you watch him, he looks like he has purpose. He has direction. He knows what he's doing. - Yeah. And what sort of grandad was he before dementia? - Oh, he was a hands-on grandad, eh. Loving, caring, just do anything for anyone. - Really? - Yeah. - And he's good to you? - Oh, he was` he was like my best mate. - Well, he is still is your best mate. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - But he was like your best mate. - Yeah. Like, you know, he treated me like I was very special to him, you know? I think we're connect by wairua now at this point, eh? - You and him? - Mm. - (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) - But he's just still such a happy person. I just wouldn't have it any other way. Just being here with my family, you know? All the people that I love are all under this one roof. Here you are. - (GRUNTS SOFTLY) - So, no nursing skills, no caring skills... - I've got... loving skills, you know? That's all. All my caring, everything, it comes from here. It doesn't need to come from a book. You can't teach me how to love my koro in a book. If your person is sick like this the best care for them is you, is the ones that they love. - And what was your life like before this? What were you doing with yourself? - Before I came in and started caring for Papa, I wasn't in a good place. - Really? - Nah. I was... I was addicted to drugs, to meth. And, you know, that dragged me away from my family completely. I wasn't in a good place. I was surrounded by darkness. And I thought that was all my life had to offer me, eh. I got a letter from Nan and the letter said, 'When you come back 'Papa's not gonna remember you.' That sort of hit me hard, eh, and when I found out that he'd forgotten me, I wanted to be back here to say, 'Nah, I'm your moko.' 'I'm your eldest moko. I'm your... 'I'm your best friend that you've had since 30 years ago.' 'Don't forget me.' - Oh, we have got pie for kai. - He saved my life, even though he doesn't even know it. And I'm just here to try and return the favour. - # Well, lookabell, lookabell, lookabell, lookabell. Oooh, weee. - Come on, Jim! - # Lookabell, lookabell, lookabell. # Oooh, weee. - (JIM LAUGHS) - # Ooh, ah, ooh, ah, # ooh wee. # Well, she's like honey from a bee` - Show him. - Whoa. - # All right. # She's got what it takes. # - He likes it. He knew there was a better dancer in the house. (LAUGHS) (APPLAUSE) I just wanna say actually, uh` actually to` Sorry, I'm tearing up a little bit cos it was very emotional being there, I just wanna say to James, I have to say, that you are the best grandson that I've ever met. I mean, dementia makes things worse for people, but it can also make life better. And as we saw what James said there, 'Papa saved my life and he doesn't even know it.' If that doesn't hit you in the heart, what does, Alice? - Yeah, that's an incredible family, Paddy. The way they've been able to care for him at home. - Yeah, and James, the grandson, made a really powerful point. He doesn't have formal nursing or caring skills, but he's got loving skills. And the point there was that you need funding and support to be able to do what he does. And once you are able to get it, it's really hard to get, and then you get bugger all to do that. And I think he wants for families to be able to have access to funding to do the kind of care that he's doing. Now Karen, speaking of care, I care for you. What have you been investigating out there? - Yeah, well first of all, that was a really touching story, but onto my story ` my question to you is this ` if you saw a big, like, blowfly just buzzing around and maybe it's about to land on your lunch, do you reckon you'd call that a he or a she? - Uh, I'd definitely call it a bastard or a little bastard. (LAUGHTER) - I think` yeah. I think you've made your point there. Well, my new best friend Stu thinks that too many people are using the word 'he'. But 'he' saw 'me' and thought, 'She can help.' (LAUGHTER) Sexism ` it's older than Winston Peters. For years, when we heard 'police officer, we thought of a man. Firefighter ` 'man'. 'Pope' ` man. And while things are getting better for humans, it's a different story for bugs, according to my new best friend, Stu. - The male insect world has been much maligned, I feel. Why would we assume that every blowfly that visits your outdoor barbecue, or every cockroach that crawls across your kitchen floor, is somehow always a male? You know? 'Kill him'. 'Squash him'. - 'Get him'. - 'Spray him'. - 'Get him'. - 'Get him'. And it seems to be the nastier or the more... - Grotesque. - ...dangerous the insect is, the greater the vitriol against the male species of that insect. So that needs to be redressed, I feel. - Mm. Yeah. - When we can be gender neutral about insects, we should be. - Yes. - And not only that ` criminals, typically they're always male. When they're referred to. - That's a whole other issue. That's, like, a big issue that I don't know that` - No. - ...I'm gonna be able to solve now. But let's move back on to insects. If you were gonna be an insect, which one would you be? - Cricket. (CRICKET CHIRPS) - I love cricket. - Mm. - That's the best answer I've had in this whole TV series. I mean, how can we change this? What do you think could instigate this change societally? - I think, just don't assume. - Yeah. - Out of respect for the` - Insect itself? - The insect species. Yeah. It's very hard for example, to sex a cricket on the fly. - I've never tried it. - Excuse the pun. - You do love crickets. - I do. - We're doing this for the insects, not for the men. - Doing it for the insects. Has to be. Doesn't it? - Yeah, I agree. - Yeah. - What I'm getting is that, you know, you as a person that identifies as male needs my help as a female to eradicate this problem that was caused by males. - Well` - But the bugs, they've got nothing to do with it. It's not their fault, is it? - No. - No. So we need to do better by bugs. - Yes. - We need to educate the public. - Agreed. - And we need to make a difference and make sure that we can be like, 'Well, hello... 'you beautiful... female... 'spider.' (CRICKET CHIRPS) Or male spider. I'm not here to sex spiders. So let's talk to these barflies. - I think historically, yeah, there's been a bit of a problem with that. - Prettier ones, I think are female. - And then cockroaches and flies male because they're annoying. - Why do we do that? - I'm not sure. I really don't know. - I don't really think about bugs and their sex too often. - Ever? - No. - Well, cos sometimes the insects might breed with each other, even though they're, like, two males or something, so... - I don't think that's called breeding. I think that's just called (BLEEP). (LAUGHTER) (SPEAKS FRENCH) autobus pour la piscine? - Autobus pour la? - Piscine. - Pour la... - Pour la piscine? Ah, oui. - (IMITATES SPLASHING) Yeah. Is this the bus for the swimming pool? That's all I've got in French. When you think of a ladybug and a weta, do you think of a gender? - I do think of just a lady, a woman, yes. Yup. - A... spider. - She. - She spider. She. A grasshopper. - He. - What about a weta? - Oh, for weta, myself, it can go both ways, you know. - Do you go both ways? - Oh... You know, if the time is right, and... and the stars are aligned, you know? - A fruit fly. - I've seen a fruit fly. - In your fruit basket? - Yeah. - Did you kill it? - No. - It was eating your fruit though. - Was he? No. He was flying around. - He. See, you said 'he' there. You actually called him 'he'. - There you go. - So we've got that. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Wow, O'Leary. You spoke to a lot of open-minded people there, didn't you? - Well, I think, you know, sometimes drinking beer in the sun can help to open your mind. Certainly, yes. - Yeah, but you've opened up a huge problem. In the last show you've taken on ` not a New Zealand problem ` a global issue that you want to solve with the sex of these bugs. - Yeah. Well, look, Paddy ` if there's anything I've learnt from you, and to be honest, it's not that much. But if there's anything I've learnt, it's always to aim big. And I think, to be honest, you're gonna be very surprised by my results. - Yeah, well. We will wait and see. Coming up ` imagine your husband of 40 years forgetting who you are. Alice meets the couple dealing with dementia way too early, and Karen heads to the zoo to find out what the insects and this guy think about us calling them all boys. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) RAP SONG: # I don't even care I ain't never had manners # No way, no way # Yo! # Sitting while you rap 'cause we just can't... # (CHAIR MECHANISM SQUEAKS) VOICEOVER: From $2.50, introducing the Subway Value Bites range. (UPBEAT ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) You all good, mate? You warm enough? (LAUGHS) SONG: # Like an endless stream... # I spy with my little eye... How good is this? You're not hungry? Nearly there, mate. # Wrap me in your arms... # (PHONE RINGS) GIRL: Ah! So that's the difference between Courier and Economy. Yeah. Something like that. OK. Courier, please. # Wrap me in your arms... # (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Nau mai hoki mai, Kiwis. Welcome back to Paddy Gower has issues. I am Paddy Gower himself. Now, coming up, Alice meets Jennifer and her husband Paul. And if you've never had dementia in your family, you're about to find out exactly what it is like. Now, 2023 has sure been one hell of a year. Definitely the most recent year that I have ever had. And News Deskers, my assignment for you is, sum up this recent year, please, for me. - Thank you so much for this opportunity, Paddy. It's time to hand out our awards for the best moments of 2023 in this week's New Zealand Has Issues. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) The year started off with a bang, as Jacinda enjoyed her summer holiday so much that she decided to do it forever. She was asked what she would tell the 2017 version of herself, and our award for the best advice has to go to this piece of great wisdom. (LAUGHTER) Believe in yourself, ladies. If you try hard enough, you too could be mercilessly hounded out of your job. - Mm-hm. Good luck getting up that hill without a ute, Cindy. (LAUGHTER) From that moment on, it felt like the election really kicked off, and my favourite parliamentary question of the year came in August from Nicola Willis, who asked Grant Robertson` - How big is his hole? and do` (LAUGHTER) - GRANT ROBERTSON: That is not in the public interest. - I guess the hole must have been big enough for about 30 Labour MPs to fall through. - Yes. National won and Christopher Luxon said in his speech that they ticked every tok and the award for the best TikTok of the year, of course, goes to this masterpiece from June. (LAUGHTER) No, no, no. No, no, no, no! - Yikes. That timing is worse than when Chris Hipkins got Covid. - God, he's so relatable, you know? Because I too am shorter than many high schoolers. It was a big loss for Labour last month, but they were humble in defeat. And our award for most humble has to go to Damien O'Connor. To be honest, that is a better slogan than 'In it for you'. - Does he think that just swearing will make him more famous? Just cos he does it on the news? And it will, because look at Paddy Gower. - Woo! - And finally, the best comeback of the year. It's not Britney Spears, it's not Crocs, baggy jeans ` it has to go to Winston Peters. Because we all laughed back in July when he said this ` - Just repeat yourself the words of Chumbawamba. 'I get knocked down, 'but I get up again. 'You're never gonna keep me down.' - And absolutely no one is surprised that Winston's campaign ideas come from drinking songs. - Now, I wish he would have followed the example of Chumbawamba and completely disappeared in 1998. Anyway, 2024 is coming. We'll have more Winston than ever. But for now, back to our kingmaker, Paddy Power Gower. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - I love that nickname, Eli, but you're still not coming over for Christmas. Now it's time to go behind the issue. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) So, dementia is a loss of brain function due to physical changes in the brain. It's a global problem. One of the best known is Bruce Willis, who has frontotemporal dementia, known as FTD. He has lost the ability to speak. Now, dementia symptoms include... and people with it end up like a different person and eventually dementia can kill you. Let's get some numbers here. Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death globally. The seventh. That is huge. And about one in every 10 Kiwis over 65 is expected to get dementia, and about 70,000 people living in this country have dementia right now. It is a city's worth of people. It is more than the population of Napier, would you believe. But then imagine when you add in all the affected family members as well. Our dementia city would be bigger than Wellington. Now, our population is ageing. While oldies make up 15% of us right now. by 2050 they'll be almost 25%. So by 2050, the number of Kiwis with dementia is expected to more than double to about 167,000. We will have a tsunami of dementia out there and we are all really struggling with it. It is estimated that about 30,000 people with dementia who need care are missing out due to workforce shortages already. And a side note, because women live longer, they are more likely to get dementia ` 30% more likely. That is a lot. Another side note ` Maori and Pasifika people like my mate, Jim Kingi, are more likely to get dementia and are diagnosed late. It's not fair. So how much will dementia cost you if you get it? If you decide to stay home and get looked after by a carer, it will cost about $111,000 a year. And if you opt to go and live in a rest home and the government assesses that you can't afford it, well, lucky you ` it's free. But if you have enough to pay for it, it will be up to $73,000 a year. - That is just the financial cost, of course, because dementia obviously comes with huge emotional costs, like seeing your loved one completely changed before your eyes. Alice went to Wellington to meet a woman whose husband was diagnosed with dementia much, much earlier than anyone expects. (WARM MUSIC) - I've been dating Paul since I was 18. He's really been my best friend. - And what was he like in that early time? - Um... Well, I thought very charming. (LAUGHS) Everything I've gone through as an adult that was hard, I've processed with him, and all of a sudden, the most big, major thing was happening to us. And... he wasn't able to discuss it with me at all because it was happening to him. (TODDLER BABBLES) (KIDS CHATTER INDISTINCTLY) (KIDS YELL) (TODDLER BABBLES EXCITEDLY, CARTOON PLAYS OVER TV) - Tell me where these photos are from. - Yeah, sure. So this was when we went to Ireland for Paul's 60th birthday It was just the best time. We` That's happy hour. (LAUGHS) This was our bucket list trip. And I'm just so grateful because the last night of the cruise I sat and said to Paul's brother and sister, 'We won't be back. This is our last trip.' 'There's something really, really wrong with my husband.' (VOICE BREAKS) - The changes in Paul that Jennifer was noticing were because of an aggressive form of dementia called frontotemporal dementia, or FTD. - It was just little things. He just had an amazing sense of direction. And we were visiting a church one day and he wanted to go left, and I knew that we had to go right, and it was just so out of character for him to not know what direction he needed to go in. A month after we got back from overseas, I said to him, 'We need to go to your doctor. 'I'm really concerned about some things that are wrong.' And he didn't see it. Then I got given this big form that I had to fill out in front of my husband, and I felt like a traitor because you had to rate whether he was... better, the same, or worse than a year ago. And I was ticking worse, worse, worse, worse. I just knew that he was changing and that he didn't recognise that he was changing. And he said, 'I don't have dementia. There's nothing wrong with me.' - It took two years to get a diagnosis. Jennifer left her job to care for Paul. - You just get to the stage where you're like, 'Well... 'it's beyond what one person can do anymore 'and remain healthy yourself.' - After six months, she made a heartbreaking decision to move him out of their forever home and into a permanent care facility. - I-I didn't like the way I was when I was being with him anymore. I was speaking to him out of frustration, not out of love. TEARFULLY: And I'd go to bed at night and just feel so awful about the way I'd spoken to him. You know? (SNIFFLES) - But you were just doing your best. - Yeah. I was. But, you know, you step into` (SNIFFLES) I felt that I'd stepped into treating him like a child, and I didn't want to. - How often do you come up to see Paul? - I visit him usually four times a week, sometimes five. Yeah. It's... It's not easy visiting. I don't find it easy. - And what are your days with him like now? - I don't think he mostly recognises me. Recently he pointed to me and said to my daughter, 'I know that woman.' So there was some recognition that he knew me, but not as his wife. - Here we go. - (SIGHS) (BIRD SONG) - How was today? - He's good today. He was actually singing. I don't know if you heard him, but he was singing while we were walking. (BIRD SONG) (LAUGHS) - You're done with that? - He threw his hat off. - Yeah. He didn't want his hat. (LAUGHS) This is his life now. You know, he's here all day, every day. So if I can get him out, even for a walk down the driveway, like today, it just gives them something a little bit different. I still feel a little bit of guilt that I'm not with him, but I just have to trust that he's here and that they're doing their best for him. And I just have to trust, yeah. That he's OK. (WARM MUSIC) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Yeah, Paddy, I'm in awe of Jennifer and what she's done, how she's navigated this, but also Paul ` we actually went in and met Paul. Cameras couldn't follow us inside when I met with him, but the personality is still there. He's obviously such a polite man and a kind man. Even though he couldn't speak to me, he actually stood aside when we were going outside and went like that to indicate for me to go in before him. The magic is still in there, the personality is still there. - Yeah, and the magic's within you as well. I love the respect which you are showing these people. All right, coming up ` Alice heads out with a nurse as she visits dementia patients at home. Why her service can't keep up with demand. And Karen meets some stick insects. Does the girl or the boy have what's called a trowel on the end of its bum? (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) In our house, it's not Christmas without reindeer pancakes for breakfast. Those look really... Good? Good. Yeah! Dad always tries to guess what he's getting. Bacon has to be in everything. And we always have Nana's mince pies. Apparently you use fruit mince but we use beef. It's kind of weird. VOICEOVER: However you do Christmas, we've got you sorted at New World. (APPLAUSE) - Welcome back, Kiwis. I'm Paddy Gower, and this is my show called Paddy Gower Has Issues. Very soon you're gonna see Karen at the zoo, where she joins the zookeeper in sexing stick insects ` not as rude as it sounds. But first, what is actually spot on in this country right now? It's time for No Issues. (APPLAUSE) I've got no issues with corn. Give me your ears. I've obviously got no issues with normal corn ` who would? But I've also got no issues with genetically-modified corn. That means new species of corn created in the lab. 22 years ago, we were scared of corn. Something called 'Corngate' divided our nation when we found out that genetically-modified corn had been released here. It was like we'd unleashed Frankenstein ` or 'Fran-cornstein'. We pretty much banned genetic modification after that, and nobody here has given it a go since. But the rest of the world got bloody stuck in, and GM corn has been created to resist drought and to kill devastating pests that I hate, like corn earworms, rootworms ` I hate them ` and of course I hate the dreaded European corn borer. And what's gone wrong, though, in all these decades of global genetic modification? Well, not one three-eyed fish has appeared ` nothing. And meanwhile, our scientists and businesses here are crying out to be able to bring New Zealand agriculture into the 21st century. Imagine creating grasses that reduce emissions from animals that eat them. That would solve one of our biggest problems. Right now though, we can't even try. So there's a brain drain ` smart people are taking their nous and talent overseas where they can get involved. And now that the National Party has taken power, they did promise to end this ban on GM. So just bloody do it, you lot. We pride ourselves on things like nuclear free and being anti-stuff, but this GM ban is the wrong one, and 20 years is way too long to get over it. That's why I've got no issues with genetically-modified corn and with genetic modification. (APPLAUSE) - I agree with you, Paddy. You know, recently I actually had my own 'Corngate' when I ate some very cheap Mexican food. - (GROANS, LAUGHS) So you're saying the corn gate was well and truly opened? - Oh, yeah. - Your corn gate. LAUGHS: Yeah. All right, well, we'll close that now and talk to Karen. (LAUGHTER) Karen, what's next with trying to fix the misgendering of bugs? - Well look, you and I both know, Paddy, that our investigations take a lot of hard work. But as you alluded to, as part of my investigation, I actually got to go to Auckland Zoo for free just because I was doing this story. But I do have a warning for viewers ` this is in fact, my sexiest story yet. I've buzzed over to Auckland Zoo to ask ectothermologist Don ` why do people get bug genders so wrong? - Goodness me. This is a deep question, isn't it` that's a societal problem. - Mm. I mean, how do you classify an insect's gender? - Well` (CHUCKLES) the male and female genitalia in the human form... - Mm. I'm aware of that. - ...when it is in focus, is really rather different from each other. Would you agree? - Yes. - And if you put the same focus on a male and female insect` and I have to say that, remember, there are millions of beetle species. So we think of insects ` it's just gigantic range... - Very vague, isn't it? Yeah. - ...that you will see. And some of it's internal, arguably. But there are huge differences in the reproductive structures of male and female insects that are even more obviously different than humans. - Think of an example. - So I think one of the insects we're gonna talk about today is the giant stick insect from Australia ` second biggest insects in Australia. So here we have a male and a female. They are producing the next generation. So` in fact, actually, she's still eating whilst in the act. - I've never tried that. - No? And the females have this incredible trowel or scoop at the end of their abdomen, which when they lay eggs or have a poo, they literally flip it like a trowel to disperse it amongst the environment. And that is peculiar to the girls. - The female. - This is the female. I mean, look at the difference. - Look at the trowel. - Look at that trowel. - So that is where the male stick insect would impregnate the female, through the trowel? - Part of that structure accommodates the male to introduce his` his spermatophore. Yes, that's right. - How does he introduce it? Like, 'hey, look, here's my "spermatamore"'. - Yeah, yeah. (LAUGHS) It's a... a gooey lump that kind of helps to stick itself when placed in the correct` - In the right place. - That's right. Exactly right. - In the trowel. He's kind of putting his blob in sideways. So, Don, if you're not an ectotherm curator, you know, and someone's like, you see someone going, 'Get him, squash him!' I mean, what should they say instead? - Why are we squashing? I'd reframe the whole thing. If I was lucky enough to be there in that moment, I would say, 'Stop!' - Yeah. - 'It's a Huhu beetle. How beautiful. Let's` let's kind of take it off you; 'encourage it off gently.' - It. It. - 'Oh, it looks` it's a male. It's clearly a male. Look at those antennae. Beautiful.' - Right, so let's let him go. - 'Let's find a native tree and pop it on the bark there.' - Don's right. Bugs deserve our respect. And on behalf of all lady, theydy and gentle-bugs, I'm gonna do something. (APPLAUSE) - OK, O'Leary. Interesting, disturbing, a little weird ` and I have to say, still no closer to solving this global issue that you've taken on over the missexing of bugs. - Well, I mean, first and foremost, what those stick insects were doing is actually quite a natural thing. So let's just leave that there. But also, I would have hoped by now that you'd have a bit more faith in my abilities, Paddy. So I'm pretty sure that by the end of this show you will have changed your negative little tune when you see the amazing result I'm gonna come up with. - All right, all right. We'll wait and see. Coming up ` for the bugs and for the children, Karen writes a kids' book called Not all Bugs Are Boys. You can even buy it for Christmas. And Alice is on the road with Janelle, who brings care into dementia patients' own homes. She says hospital beds are scarce and they aren't the answer. (APPLAUSE) (APPLAUSE) - Nau mai, hoki mai, Kiwis, and welcome back to Paddy Gower Has Issues. Coming up, Alice is on the road with Janelle to see how much care dementia patients need, and Karen writes a children's book. But first, this year has been all about space ` or outer space. News deskers, your assignment is to explain to me what is happening with the space race. - OK, Paddy. Well, three, two, one, lift-off ` it's The World Has Issues. (APPLAUSE) Well, it's 50 years since humans allegedly landed on the moon, and they're at it again. And this time they went to the moon not just to show off. It's sort of like how I ate that spider at that house party in 2009. - (GROANS) - This time round, it's a race for resources. Returning contenders are Russia and America, who are seasoned colonisers` I mean, explorers, and they're facing off against new kids on the block India, China and Japan. Good. All those countries heading to space. All the ones that are good at taking care of the earth. Well done. I mean, are they sure they want to go to the moon? They can't even make it down to the Titanic. (AUDIENCE GROANS) - Uh oh, too soon. The new space race is a race to the bottom. Space nerds say craters at the moon's south pole are potentially hiding 600 million tons of ice. So if the ice is already there, all they need to bring is the tequila, the triple sec and the lime juice. If they can turn the ice into water, they can build a moon base and use that on the way to further missions to places like Mars. Because while the moon is full of ice, Mars is full of nougat and caramel, and who knows what's inside Uranus. - So basically, if you think of space as the Desert Road, the moon would be like Caltex Waiouru, and you could land there, top up your supplies, refuel, and maybe get a glimpse of some of those hot army boys. But the legality of building a base camp could be tricky. After all, who owns the moon? The 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty prohibits countries from claiming a slice, although there's nothing out there about commercial enterprises claiming ownership. Which is great, because when I top up on fuel, I also want to grab some Macca's. Truly though, forget Instagram ads ` soon those ads for cheap Ray-Bans could be on the moon. - I can't wait. Just like our oceans, the race for the moon is heating up. In August, India became the first country to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon's south pole. - Unless they faked it, which they did. - The Americans are also preparing a NASA mission called Artemis to bring their first person of colour and the first woman to the moon, which means the moon will officially be more diverse than Greymouth. - You know, it's good that they're sending a woman up there. Apparently they were gonna send two, but you know what they get like ` 'Yadda, yadda, yadda.' NASA previously gave an astronaut, Sally Ride, a hundred tampons for a five-day trip. This time they know not to do that. When she gets there she can just grab a moon cup. - So who's going to win the space race, and who really cares? I mean, I don't even need to go to space ` my fridge already makes ice all on its own. Back to you, Paddy. (APPLAUSE) - OK, I understand the space race a lot better now, but what about all this talk about us here in New Zealand getting a minister of space? Does that mean we could see a Kiwi on the moon? - I think it's pretty unlikely, Paddy. - Oh, about as likely as you coming over for Christmas, then? LAUGHS: All right. Alice, what's next in your investigation? - Well, Paddy, experts have told us that there are lots of benefits to keeping someone with dementia at home for as long as possible. The problem is that as their condition worsens, their family needs support to be able to do that. And lots of people are paying for private in-home care in order to allow them to do that. So I headed out on the road with an in-home carer to see just how huge the demand for her services has become. Janelle, where are we heading today? - Today we're on our way to see a lovely couple who live on their own. They have both got different degrees of dementia. They don't want to be separated, so it's really nice to be able to support them to stay living at home. - So what kind of stuff do you do when you go in and visit them? - Oh, we do crosswords. (LAUGHS) Make sure that they're eating and drinking properly, do medication reminders; A little bit of companionship too. It's really nice for the family to know that there's somebody there keeping them safe. Here we go. Here we are. - Janelle, who is a registered nurse, started her in-home care company several years ago. - Hi, Pat. Let's have lunch. How are you? Do you prefer egg or chicken? - Her 33 carers support 40 clients with different needs across Auckland; families paying out of pocket for the extra care. - We don't want to look at the houses for sale because you're not moving, are you? - Nope. - Everything's going real good. - Well, I'm happy, I'm pleased. - OK, so we're off to another place now. Is it important to help people with dementia stay in their home? - 100%. Familiarity is really important, and can really have an effect on the progression of the dementia. I think we need to change the way we're looking at it, and put more support into the community-based care. - Like many families, Emma-Jane tried to keep her mum Michelle at home for as long as possible. Having dinner together, is that something that the two of you would usually do now? - Yeah, yeah. So we do that at least once a week. Oh, here we go. Do you want to do it? (CHUCKLES) - Come down here, you silly thing. - We ended up buying this house so mum could live with us. I always say the best thing is to keep her home. It was pretty much a case of carry on until we can't cope any longer. - Emma sought some help by accessing the government-funded in-home care options. - Some people were great, lovely. Others were` could tell they're in a rush and they've got so many people to see and only so much time. - Was there an option to pay for care out of your own pocket? - There is, which is what we have been doing, basically. But there's only so much you can pay out of pocket, really. - One. - But Michelle was diagnosed at just 58. She was able to live with Emma for a while, but has now moved into permanent care. It's an adjustment. - I just wanted sort of as much as my normal life was, is... now. - So given her age, the options are quite limited. A 60-year-old shouldn't be living with 85-year-olds. She wants to be busy and active and involved and doing stuff. But that's not` not what the current system provides. - How do you feel about being forced, really, to make that decision? - I could, you know, quit my job and be a carer, which is what a lot of people have to do. But... I want to keep working and look after my kids and stuff like that. But then knowing that mum's not really happy, I feel, yeah, I feel really guilty that I can't` can't find a solution. (APPLAUSE) - Paddy, this kind of in-home care is really costly. There are plenty of people who just wouldn't be able to afford that, and they're forced to put their loved one into permanent care and make that massive decision. There's a huge amount of guilt involved in that for families, and there has to be a better way. - Yeah. Jim Kingi's family interestingly said that they like the idea of a kaupapa Maori solution, kind of like a village where all different sorts of people could go in and their families could help as well, which sounded pretty cool. Are there other ideas like that out there as well, Alice? - Yeah, there are. We have found something that's working really well, and that's next in my investigation. - Well, we look forward to that. And speaking of looking forward to things, I always look forward to talking to you, Karen. What's coming next with this global issue ` and I like saying that ` that you're gonna solve? - Yeah. Well look, I mean obviously, it is a global issue. And for some people maybe stuck in their ways, kind of older brains like mine and yours, it could be difficult to affect positive change, but I feel like I can do that for the people of the future, or as I like to call them, children. So tamariki, this next bit's for you. And I start off with a chat with a cunning linguist. What would you like me to call you? Just Doctor? Dr Brown. - Jason is fine. - Dr Jason. We often refer to bugs as 'he' or 'him'. What do you make of that? - Well, there's a bias in language. The bias is that people equals male. - Mm. - That also includes animals. So animals equals male. - Right. - So we default to` - He. - Yeah. - How can we shift this gender bias? - Yeah. We can totally shift it... - OK, great. - ...because these biases are just conventional. They are there not because of the language that we're using, but how we use it. And that's what we teach to our kids and that's what they grow up with, is this bias. So if we change the way that we talk about things, that will slowly shift the way that we look at things and shift our language. - Dr Jason's right. If we want to make the change, we need to start with our rangatahi, which is why I'm going to change the way people think about bugs by writing an original children's book. (LIGHT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) (DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) (FLY BUZZES) - Squash him. Kill him. Get him! - Well that was the most intense 12 minutes of my life. But now I've finally finished my 'magnus opus'. I might want to get a professional to illustrate it. OK, are you ready? This book is called Not All Bugs Are Boys by Karen O'Leary, illustrated by Cat Atkinson. One summer night, while eating tea, a praying mantis bothered me. So with a glass and a piece of paper, I grabbed the mantis ` 'See you later!' But as I let the green guy free, he said, 'Actually, I'm a she.' 'My name is Anne and this is Greta, She is the most gorgeous weta. 'Claudia here looks like a stick. But that stick moves, and super quick. 'My next friend might make you squirm. 'Her name is Wanda ` she's a... - CHILDREN: Worm. - See ya! - CHILD: Worms can't hear, because they haven't got ears. - Don't they? - No. - 'This ladybug, despite their name, is not a gent and not a dame. 'They're Chase, and we use words like they. 'It's the respectful, bug-like way.' Not all bugs are boys, that's true. If I need to know, I will ask... - CHILDREN: You. - Me. - You` Me` You. Did you like that book? - Yes. - What was your favourite bit? - Worm. - The worm?! - Yeah. - What do you think the story was trying to teach us? - Um, not all bugs are boys. - Yeah. What could they be instead? - Um, girls. - Yeah. Do you think that all worms are boys? - Yes. - OK. Making a difference. I guess change happens at a snail's pace, but I am confident these ideas will worm their way in over time. Are you a he or a she, bumble bee? Karen O'Larvae, over and out. (APPLAUSE) - So Karen, is that a real book that people can actually go and buy ` a real book? - You mean like this? This real book? - Wow. - Yes, this real book, Not All Bugs Are Boys, is available for sale. All proceeds are going to go to Dementia New Zealand. You can get it on Trade Me, and there'll be a link on our Facebook page. Whether you're a she, a he or a they, get on there and get one. It'll be ready in time for Christmas. So yeah, it's a real book. Everyone should have one in their house. - Well, I hate to say it, but you've done it again. That truly is a result. You've made an entire book on this, Karen. You've done it again. - Hey, look, I'm committed, Paddy. And don't forget, if you've got an issue for 2024, get in touch, cos if it's your issue, it's my issue too. Issues@PaddyGower.co.nz ` I'll come and help you out. - Yes. And you are certainly amazing. So much respect for you. Now coming up ` for dementia patients, there is hope. Alice visits the world-class Rotorua rest home where the residents live like flatmates. (APPLAUSE) (APPLAUSE) - Welcome back to Paddy Gower Has Issues, Kiwis. I'm Paddy Gower ` the Paddy Gower. Now Alice, tell us there is some hope when it comes to dementia. - Yeah, there is, Paddy, and it comes in the form of a care home that's been modelled on a Dutch care home for people who have dementia. We went there to see how it works, and we saw first-hand the real benefits it's having for both patients and their families. (INTRIGUING MUSIC) What have we got here? Because I'm seeing houses, not just one big building. - So we have 13 houses. Everything happens in the house. The cooking happens in the house; the laundry happens in the house. - Therese runs the care village in Rotorua. It focuses on helping residents participate in normal daily life. They even have their own supermarket. They must feel like they still have a lot of their independence. - Mm. And that's the idea ` to encourage them to maintain some of the skills. Like if they like peeling the potatoes, to peel the potato` it might take an hour or two to peel the potatoes, but it doesn't matter. We've got a hand mower, because one of our residents, he likes to help out in the gardens. - So he's done the grass. - He's done the grass. - Six people live in a house like flatmates. Each home reflects a different Kiwi lifestyle. Which house are we in here? - So we're in Middle New Zealand. They've been hard-working people. You know, they attended sports fixtures, they were well involved in the schools. - Do people go between houses? - Yes. Trying to have shared barbecues, shared lunches, all that sort of stuff that you would do in a normal community. - So what is this house, Therese? - This is the formal classical living. They enjoy classical music, the classical arts. - The wallpaper's different, the couches are different. - Mm-hm. The lighting. - So it feels familiar to them, is that right? - Feels familiar, looks familiar. - Would you like to see this model throughout New Zealand? - Definitely. I think it is the future. I think it should be replicated. All the elderly have done is they've grown old, and some of them have developed dementia. They haven't committed a crime and yet we put them in an institution, whereas this household model is much more like being at home. - But for people who are at home, there are still ways for them to keep socially active. We've come to the Shirley Bunnings here in Christchurch today for a bit of DIY, but this DIY is going to be a little bit different, because it's actually an activity class for people who have dementia. - Nice job. - Is that good? - Yeah, it's going really good. - Jeff, what are you doing here? - (LAUGHS) You can say whatever you want. - Why have you come to this class today? - The best prescription for dementia is, for the most part, not a medical one. It's a social one. Many people with dementia feel like they've maybe lost their purpose, and so coming along to something like this is purposeful. - How long have you been coming to these classes, Phil? - Yep. - Although there is no fix for dementia, there's certainly a fix for becoming isolated. and probably what that means is that people delay, perhaps, going into care; remain in the community for a bit longer because they're engaged with the community they're live in. - DIY is just one of the free activity classes put on by Dementia Canterbury. - Oh, great. Oh, you've got a busy day. - More than 40% of dementias are potentially preventable if we intervene much earlier in the life cycle. If we look after our heart, if we keep physically active, or we stay stimulated with our brains, we can delay getting dementia, or we can stop getting dementia. - All of these people today will go home with something to talk about tonight, about what they've done today, and having something concrete to show for that. - It's not get a diagnosis, hang up your hat, get your affairs in order, and wait to die. It's get on with your life, be it slightly differently. (APPLAUSE) - Paddy, all of these people were so lovely and welcoming. One of the care nurses working in that care home said to me, 'The reason I do this is I have so much respect for who these people are and the lives they've lived.' We spoke with someone who'd been an artist, someone who'd worked in HR, in a really high-powered job; someone who'd been a farmer. These people have lived amazing lives, and we owe them the respect to care for them as they go on their dementia journey better than what we're doing now. - Totally. Totally, Alice. And so much respect for you and the way that you treated these people with respect. And thank you so much for that. And thank you, Karen O'Leary, respect for you yet again, coming up with amazing solutions out there. And of course, respect to the news desk for bringing us the news. And thank you to the audience who have watched the show this year ` respect. (APPLAUSE) - So for me it goes like this ` respect. The heart of the solution to dementia is respect. We want our loved ones to live with respect and feel respected. We are facing a tsunami of dementia cases here in New Zealand, and there are a lot of things that could be done. But there is one obvious solution to me that stands out ` allowing families the means to keep their loved ones at home for as long as is possible. I saw that with my mate Jim Kingi. It's easier on everyone ` on the person, on the family and on the health system. As James, his grandson, told us, the caring skills come from in here, in the heart. Let's make it easier for people to respect their loved ones and care from the heart. I'm Paddy Gower; those were my issues. I'm gonna miss youse ` see you next year. (APPLAUSE) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023