Quality care with a community heart

 

North Haven Hospice provides specialist palliative care for people living with any life-limiting condition, and support for their families/whanau and carers.

We are a community resource and there is no charge for our service, which is available to anyone in Whangarei District and southeast Kaipara.

Hospice is not a ‘place’, but a philosophy of care; palliative care which can happen anywhere. The majority of patients receive our care and support entirely in their homes or place of residence. Patients who need a higher level of care and support may have a short admission to our inpatient unit (IPU), mostly for symptom management before returning home. We provide care for people of all ages. Around three-quarters of our patients have had a cancer diagnosis, with one-quarter of patients having other lifelimiting illnesses such as disease of the heart, lung, kidney, liver, or motor neurone disease.

In the 2019/20 year, we provided care for 542 patients, with on average 117 patients in our care at any one time. Our community nurses, doctors and family support team members made a total of 3729 visits to patients in their homes, place of residence or at hospital. These patients included 13 people in Mangawhai, nine people in Kaiwaka and nine people in Maungaturoto, with a total of 187 home visits made.

Our premises in Tikipunga, Whangarei, are like a hub, and where Hospice’s IPU, doctors, nurses, pharmacist, family support team, Te Tumu Manaaki, healthcare assistants and non-clinical staff are based.

Our care is holistic, embracing the physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual needs of patients and their family/whanau and carers.

Our vision: Compassionate communities that work together supporting people to live and die well | Hapori aroha e mahi tahi ki te tautoko i te iwi kiora me te mate pai.

North Haven Hospice counsellor and family support team leader Julianne Wright, left, visits patient Deborah Attwood at home last week.