New hospice a design first

A new Warkworth Wellsford Hospice caring centre, Tui House, was formally opened by Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy on November 16.

With architecture influenced by ‘The Architecture of Hope’ from Maggie’s Centres abroad and offering wraparound care within, the facility will be the first of its kind in New Zealand.

Tui House offers a fresh approach in both architecture and health, hosting private and semi-private spaces with most rooms connecting to the outdoors. A distinguishing feature of the Warkworth building is that it is based on the concept of a barn to suit the largely rural area it serves and to provide a hopeful, open energy space which is homely, welcoming and familiar.

Patients, family members and other carers will be able to attend nurse-led clinics, day programmes, patient and caregiver education, and therapy and support groups. An education and community wing will also be available for hire to the community for meetings, small events and private functions.

Warkworth Wellsford Hospice general manager, Kathryn Ashworth, says the new purpose-built facility will enable Warkworth Wellsford Hospice to keep pace with the growing need for care as the local population grows and ages.

“We believe rural people deserve the same quality of care as people in urban areas and we look forward to providing that,” she says. “We will be able to offer services which help keep our patients close to home and may keep them out of hospital.”

Construction of the new, $6 million facility, on the corner of Glenmore and Morrison Drives, Warkworth, began in May last year. The majority of donations came from 157 individuals, businesses and community groups and funds pledged from Trusts and Foundations.

Major donations came from the Rodney Health Charitable Trust, Pub Charity, the Ted and Mollie Carr Endowment Trust, the Lotteries Community Facilities Fund and The David Levene Foundation.

Hospices receive no government funding for capital projects.

“We are in awe of the generosity of people in this community and we can’t wait to celebrate what we have achieved together,” says Mrs Ashworth.