Whānau facility opened for visitors of hospitalised loved ones

Dame Rangimārie Naida Glavish. Photo / NZME

By Mare Haimona-Riki Whakaata Maori

Dame Naida Glavish has always had a vision of providing a place for families to stay while visiting their sick loved ones in hospitals.

Since her appointment as the chief advisor tikanga at Waitematā and Auckland hospitals in 1990, she has been advocating for improved facilities for families, and this morning she inaugurated another such facility at North Shore Hospital.

“This facility is specifically for people who visit their loved ones in the hospital. We want to ensure they don’t have to sleep in their cars for extended periods,” Glavish says.

Dame Naida Glavish. Photo / Supplied

Named Te Whare Atawhai, the two-storey building consists of four double bedrooms, kitchen facilities, and a dining room. It is open to people of all cultures who meet the eligibility criteria and require accommodation while their loved ones receive care in the adjoining hospital.

“Our new family accommodation will truly make a difference,” says Dame Naida. “It allows us to cater to the needs of our patients and their families, which is essential for everyone’s healing process.”

This is the third building of its kind that Glavish has helped establish. Her dedication to these projects stems from her personal experience at the then-Greenlane Hospital when her mother, Nohokotahi, suffered a stroke.

“Families from all over the north came to be with Mum,” she recalls. “We stayed at the hospital for three days, sleeping in cars and using public facilities because we had nowhere else to go.”

The accommodation will be accessible to individuals who meet specific criteria, and the length of stay will depend on individual circumstances. It is located at the corner of Shakespeare Rd, at the entrance to the North Shore Hospital campus.