Hospice opens Levin day centre

CLARE Randall, Arohanui Hospice chief executive, and John Freebairn, chairman of the hospice service trust, at the newly-opened Arohanui Hospice. Photo/Ashleigh Collis

Arohanui Hospice opened its new day centre in Levin this week to provide for the district's growing need for palliative care.

The Arohanui Hospice Horowhenua Centre on the corner of Oxford and Stuckey streets, will offer clinics, bereavement support, temporary day care to allow family carers to have some respite and showers for those who need help and don't want to go into residential care.

Horowhenua makes up 30 per cent of Arohanui Hospice's client base, with 250 elderly being cared for in the region per year, double that of other regions.

Hospice chief executive Clare Randall said the majority of its care takes place in people's homes and the day centre will support that care.

She said after looking at the statistics, "We decided this was a good place to be opening a centre, in line with the New Zealand Healthcare Strategy of bringing the care closer to home."

While remodelling the bathroom to include a shower might seem like an odd thing to do for a day centre, Ms Randall said some people struggle to shower in their own homes.

"If that struggle means they have to look at going into residential care that seems really sad, so we have provided shower and healthcare assistance for them."

Palliative care co-ordinator Michelle Burgess has been working with Hospice in Horowhenua for three years and said this hub will enable them to see more patients and give more comprehensive advice.

"This is positive for the community. We have been lacking this hub that will link our patients with other providers," she said.

"We spend a lot of time travelling between patients so the day clinic will enable us to meet up with a number of patients at one time, if they are walking and able.

"However, it still doesn't stop our core business of going to patients' homes, because for some, coming into the day clinic is just not feasible in those last days of life."

Arohanui Hospice has provided care in the Horowhenua since 1991.

It is partly funded by the government, but 45 per cent of its funding comes from the community.

Hospice has to raise more than $2.5 million a year to cover its funding shortfall.