Dementia care plan could bring patients back to Wairarapa

A breakthrough proposal by the operators of Wairarapa's only dementia care facility could save the day for families with suffering loved ones.
With Kandahar Court in Masterton filled up, some families had been forced to send loved ones with Level 3 dementia out of the region to Feilding, Palmerston North, Wellington and the Hutt.
The worsening situation prompted Wairarapa Alzheimer's to appeal to Kandahar Court operators Presbyterian Support for more beds to be made available at the Colombo Road centre.
At a meeting between the two groups last week, Presbyterian Support indicated it was in the process of making available extra beds needed at Kandahar Court.
The extra beds would mean the repatriation of those sufferers receiving care outside Wairarapa who weren't already too settled at their facilities.
Wairarapa Alzheimer's community co-ordinator Liz Garden was rapt at the proposal, which would take pressure off a backlog of families waiting to put relatives into Level 3 care.
She had been assured by Presbyterian Support that it was "in the process" of making the beds ready as soon as possible.
That meant refurnishing the unit, getting security up to standard, installing a nurse call bell system, gaining certificate status from the Ministry of Health and bringing in more staff.
Mrs Garden was also hopeful that Waireka Home in Pahiatua would be granted funding from Midcentral District Health Board to reopen a dementia unit there.
That unit, which was closed three years ago, was fully set up to provide care and only needed DHB funding to resume service.
With more people being diagnosed with dementia each year including some in their 50s the issue of care had been becoming increasingly crucial.
Mrs Garden said it was especially important here in Wairarapa, which has the second-highest ageing population in the country.
Alzheimer's Wairarapa advocates for families to get the best deal possible for their loved ones and helps them through the process from their first assessment through to arranging home care or placement in Level 3 care.
Mrs Garden said Level 3 patients moved to specialised safe care if they "wandered" or if their behaviour was not acceptable in Stage 2 rest homes.
Simon Everitt, Wairarapa DHB's director of planning and funding, said although the DHB was in discussion with Presbyterian Support about the need to increase the number of beds, nothing had yet been agreed.
"We are working on a plan to increase local bed capacity and negotiations are in progress," he said.
"Meanwhile some patients are being cared for in neighbouring DHBs.
"We are acutely aware of the current bed situation and our foremost concern is to ensure the safety and well-being of people with dementia."