Palliative care service opens

A new palliative care service for terminally-ill Wairarapa people and their families opens today.
The Wairarapa Palliative Care Service is a partnership between the Wairarapa District Health Board, the Wairarapa Community PHO and Te Omanga Hospice in Lower Hutt, Wairarapa DHB community public and mental health services manager Maggie Morgan said.
The new service merges once separate organisations and is affiliated with Arohanui Hospice in Palmerston North for education, she said.
"The new service will offer all-hours access to quality, culturally-appropriate care in a co-ordinated way at no cost to Wairarapa patients and their families; when and where they need them and regardless of the type of illness or age."
The former Te Omanga House in Lincoln Road will be the specialist nursing team base. The palliative care facilitator and a volunteer co-ordinator will be based at there as well, she said.
Weekly medical clinics run by a Te Omanga specialist doctor will also be held there and the volunteer co-ordinator position will be advertised on Wednesday.
"The patient's family, friends and carers are also assisted as part of the service. Advice and support are available to help them cope during their loved one's illness and to rebuild their lives afterwards."
Mrs Morgan said the range of general and specialist community palliative care services includes GPs and Wairarapa DHB community nurses with specialist palliative care nurses and Te Omanga Hospice medical specialists in support.
Other professionals will also work with doctors and nurses to help meet the physical, mental and spiritual needs of patients and their families, she said, including occupational therapists, social workers, counsellors, pharmacists, clergy and Maori health workers.
The Wairarapa Palliative Care Service may be contacted on 0800 946 981.