Our Management Team

Jim Haines and Andrew Sheard

Our Directors

For over a decade Dementia Care NZ has provided care for the elderly, specialising in caring for people with dementia, and has pioneered the ‘Small Homes’ and ‘Best Friends Approach to Care’ concepts in New Zealand.

Andrew Sheard and Jim Haines are innovative and passionate about the work they do and visit their facilities regularly to mentor, guide and support their on-site management teams. “Providing the mentoring and the resources for our team to give loving care is the work we have chosen to do. Providing a special place for people to be cared for gives us enormous pleasure. We often spend time at each facility. We talk each day about our vision for residents and staff, discussing ideas and striving to find creative ways of providing the very best care.”

Andrew was with our organisation for many years in different roles before being appointed as a Director in 2017.  He started out with Dementia Care NZ in 2009 with a position as Operations Manager of Aberleigh Rest Home in Blenheim, which soon extended to managing Tasman Rest Home in Nelson. Moving to the organisational management team, his  involvement extended further as his role of Project Manager evolved, working closely with Jim on building projects in Nelson, Blenheim and Kapiti.

A grass-roots understanding of the aged care industry, coupled with a passion for excellence in care delivery and deep empathy and respect for the elderly underpin Andrew’s role as Director. “People matter to me. I enjoy my regular visits to our rest homes, and the personal connections they bring. As a family man myself, I understand the importance of family in our lives, and value the strong sense of family in our rest homes.”

Jim was involved in a variety of business activities in building development before moving into aged residential care, and has a particular passion for the development of the staff team.

Providing opportunities for personal growth brings both Andrew and Jim much pleasure.

Chris Booth

Quality & Systems Manager

Chris believes that our philosophy and values are something that sets us apart. Thay are an integral part of our quality system, a factor that keeps Chris motivated to achieve the very best possible outcomes for all our facilities.

Chris regularly visits all our facilities to conduct compliancy audits and review their documentation and generally assess their performance. 

Simon Hamley

Education Coordinator for Unregulated Staff / Wellness Support Advisor

Simon has worked as a registered nurse for over 25 years in the UK and New Zealand. Education is an area that has always given him great satisfaction, as he enjoys seeing staff learn and grow and improve skills.

Vicky Jones

Operations Management Leader

Vicky’s main focus is in supporting the operations managers of our facilities with HR processes, the resolution of any complex or unexpected issues which may arise from time to time, and professional development.

Megan Sendal

Clinical Director

Megan worked in a number of nursing leadership, health advisory and compliance roles in both the NZ public and private sectors before joining DCNZ as a Clinical Advisor in 2013. Her transition to the  Clinical Director position established in 2015 ensured that the organisation maintains strong clinical nursing leadership and professional development across all services. Megan lives in Palmerston North with her husband John and is the proud grandparent of one little girl.

Arah Cartagena

National Clinical Manager

Arah completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the Philippines in 2006 and worked in a medical and emergency department prior to moving to New Zealand. She obtained her NZ Registered Nursing registration in 2009 and has been working in residential aged care since then, as Clinical Manager of Tasman Rest Home and Dementia Care since 2013.

As National Clinical Manager Arah’s role is to offer guidance and support to the Clinical Managers at each of our facilities, ensuring that our Vision and Values are at the heart of the care we provide. 

Donya Nee

Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator 

Donya works in the area of marketing and public relations for the organisation. This involves coaching clinical and operation managers in this area and encouraging their involvement in their local communities. Donya has a background of over ten years with the company as a diversional therapist, NVCI instructor, marketing coordinator and member of the senior management team.

Mona Sharma

Organisational Clinical Quality Coordinator

Mona worked as a senior registered nurse for DCNZ since May 2012 and has held the role of organisational Clinical Quality Coordinator since January 2019. In her current role, her main focus is to monitor clinical quality by providing support to the clinical teams at all DCNZ sites, maintaining clinical compliancy and ensuring implementation of DCNZ policies and procedures.