Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology staff spend day giving back to community

(From left) Janice Boulton (Glenbrae) Megan Wheeler (Toi Ohomai) and Kathy Satchel (Glenbrae) with one of the yummy burgers. Photo / Andrew Warner

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology staff have been busy chipping in and giving back at numerous organisations around the region.

The recent inaugural Toi Ohomai Community Day was an opportunity for staff to get out in the community and contribute their time to organisations or services in need.

The purpose was to show the staff's appreciation, help others, donate their time, and share the Toi Ohomai values the staff strive to uphold.

Organisations and services the staff visited included the Rotorua fire station, Hell's Gate, Glenbrae Arvida Retirement and Care, and the Salvation Army in Rotorua.

In Tauranga it included Good Neighbour, Matua Radius Care and Riding for the Disabled. Staff also visited places in Taupō and Tokoroa.

The Toi Ohomai Mokoia campus marketing, communications and events team visited Glenbrae Arvida Retirement and Care, making burgers for the staff's lunch and handing out chocolates to residents.

Events and engagement manager Megan Wheeler says the day was all about giving back to those who worked through the initial lockdown.

"I'm excited, and am particularly glad we are visiting a rest home. I really felt for them.

"A lot of the staff moved in with the residents. It would have been a tough time."

She says it is awesome they were able to do a day like this, and they are hoping to do a Community Day every year.

"It's important we get out in the community and get involved, especially after Covid - we need to show that community support.

"A lot of people did it tough and this is an easy way to give back and have fun."

Olive McMillan gets a chocolate from Max Robinson, 4. Photo / Andrew Warner

Glenbrae Arvida Retirement and Care clinical manager Shirley Hazelwood says it was such a surprise when she took the phone call from the Toi Ohomai team asking if they could do something to say thank you for all the hard work Glenbrae had done throughout and since the Covid-19 lockdown.

"They said that they were wanting to give back to us.

"This brought tears to my eyes as I realised that people were actually aware of the stress that had been on our people at this time in trying to prevent an outbreak in aged care facilities, where the most vulnerable people of all reside, and also to keep in contact with their families and become their families when they couldn't visit."

She says all staff who were on shift that day were blessed.

"Many had said that this was the first time in the years they had worked in the aged care sector that the community had recognised them."

Shirley says there were so many ways in which Covid-19 affected them at Glenbrae.

She says from day one of lockdown they lost seven staff because they were classified as being vulnerable due to age and pregnancy.

A registered nurse and a healthcare assistant were holidaying in their home country and could not return due to the closing of their borders.

"This meant that we were having to spend time hiring and training new staff in the midst of a worldwide pandemic."

Their support medical services ceased being able to physically visit Glenbrae, which included doctors, physiotherapist and district nurses.

"We were also unable to send our residents to the hospital as we would normally do if they were unwell due to the risk to them of possibly contracting the virus. If residents did go to hospital, when they return they needed to go into isolation for 14 days.

"If residents showed any Covid symptoms they too were placed on 14-day isolation. Covid swabbing was also required. Doctors were assessing patients virtually so this increased the nurses' workload."

Staff were taking phone calls throughout the shifts from family needing to know how their loved one was, also placing extra demands on staff.

A staff member was designated to screen all staff before their shift. This involved taking temperatures and declarations. If anyone was unwell they were sent home and had to be replaced at a moment's notice.

"We had a DHB audit in among this to check our preparedness in regards to PPE, procedures and rostering in the event of an outbreak.

"We also experienced supply shortages for equipment that was essential such as thermometers, probes, hand sanitisers and rubbish bins. We had to find alternative ways of sourcing PPE equipment and this was made possible as the Arvida Support Team sourced what was needed for us."

She says they were constantly involved in Zoom meetings with their support team, and Arvida was supported by its own inhouse virologist.

"As well as getting instructions from Arvida Support Team, we were receiving mandates and directives from DHB, Ministry of Health and NZ Aged Care Association.

"Support was needed to be given for staff to work through their own fears for themselves, their families and the residents.

"I would like to say a huge thank you from the Glenbrae team to those warm-hearted people from Toi Ohomai that took time out of their busy schedule to give back to us and not only fill our stomachs but fill our hearts."