They might be "out of office" but they aren't out of action.
Rotorua not-for-profits have hastily adjusted to Covid-19 alert level 4's restrictions.
At the Rotorua Community Hospice, it's been "a smooth transition overall" despite a marked drop in face-to-face interactions with 120 patients.
Hospices were classified as an essential service but some programmes run by the hospice's 100 volunteers, including day stay, Companions in Homes and Life Biographies, had been postponed.
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As part of the hospice's pandemic plan, all patients were now called and asked about their health status before the team visits, bringing in extra personal protective equipment, ramping up cleaning and sanitising of loaned equipment and getting flu vaccines to staff as soon as possible.
Staff visiting clients had to limit physical contact with them where possible.
"It's the opposite of what we [typically] do," chief executive Jonathon Hagger told the Rotorua Daily Post.
"Our natural instinct is to reach out to someone and touch them and be with them."
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The hospice was eligible for wage subsidies but nationally New Zealand Hospice was requesting additional funding from the government to keep services running.
Hagger said in Rotorua, fundraisers such as Dancing for Hospice and the Hospice shops provided "some financial reserves".
"We're not in dire straits or trouble at this stage so we can comfortably continue doing what we're doing for three to four months. Hopefully, by that time the lockdown will have finished."
CEO update on COVID19Jonathon Hagger, CEO of Rotorua Community Hospice gives you an update on what we're doing during at the moment and how we're keeping our patients, whanau and wider community safe. He waka e noa. We're all in this together. #StaySafe #Aroha
Posted by Rotorua Community Hospice on Tuesday, 24 March 2020
The Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust [RECT] and BayTrust had allocated $100,000 for Rotorua organisations experiencing an immediate funding shortfall and/or a significant increase in demand on their services because of the implications of Covid-19.
RECT staff and board members were working from home and co-ordinating online or on the phone.
Adapting to online meetings had been "very interesting" for chairman Stewart Edward.
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He said operations were slower than usual but trustees were "prepared to go outside of the normal routine and normal boundaries" for urgent needs.
Edward said funding applications for events would not be coming in, due to cancellations, but other local causes would have larger financial needs than usual.
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Advertise with NZME.The trust's share portfolio had taken a hit in the economic downturn but trustees were "keeping in very close contact with advisers".
"We are ensuring we keep to the commitments we've made and we have the ability to keep funding other things on a regular basis... Some things, in these circumstances, could take more priority than others."
St Chads Charitable Trust was also using online sessions to support Rotorua people living with disabilities.
"All of us find adjusting to new technology difficult, but people with learning disabilities experience additional challenges," a trust press release said this week.
"Many people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to infection due to underlying health conditions or living situations. They are therefore likely to be isolated far longer than the general population."
• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website
