Health Care As
sistant Josie Bid
ois
receives an ap
preciation certifi
cate for
her work on the
café and outdo
or area
from Special He
alth Services for
Older
Persons – Healt
h In Aging, Clini
cal Nurse
Co-ordinator Ale
x Herbert-Ward.
Ward style Café lifts patients’ spirits
Every Monday and Thursday the patient lounge
within the Health in Ageing Ward at Tauranga
Hospital is a hive of activity as patients mingle in
what now has become their very own café.
Health Care Assistant Josie Bidois and Physio Assistant Annie
Duffy came up with the idea as part of discussions to improve
services supporting patients’ rehabilitation journey and wellbeing.
“A lot of our patients are at the stage in their lives where many of
their friends have passed away. They can become quite isolated
and lose confidence to interact with others. And that feeling can be
compounded by health issues such as having a fall or suffering a
stroke,” says Josie.
She says the café is a way of helping them to gain confidence to
get up and about and out of their rooms.
The café has been operating for about four months. Food for the
café is funded from donations from families. Josie organises the
weekly menu and tries to keep it varied. It operates like the usual
café except there are no café workers, instead staff including
doctors and nurses are serving the patrons.
“It’s about supporting our patients to gain confidence to connect
with others. The patients can bring their visitors along too. There
are no rules aside from there’s no take out – that would defeat the
purpose.”
The café style setting encourages patients to talk to each other
and make connections.
“There’s a real café atmosphere. Staff can join in too on the
proviso that they bring a patient with them.”
Josie has been working on the ward for more than 16 years. She’s
a firm believer in Reminiscence Therapy.
12
“It lifts their spirits when they can talk and reminisce about the
good old days and a lot of laughter can be heard throughout the
ward. They like that people know that they can laugh and can tell
a joke or two.”
Feedback from patients and their families has been positive. The
concept proving so popular that housie, and quiz sessions have
also be held in the café.
The café now has an outdoor dining area too complete with small
plants and flowers donated by Josie and others to give patients a
burst of sunshine on a fine day.
Josie says she’s learnt a lot from patients on the ward over the
years. She recalls a patient with dementia whose loving family did
everything for her, things that she was capable of doing herself.
One day Josie asked them to stop. The family realised what she
was still capable of achieving herself, and the woman thanked
Josie for this.
“That’s really stuck with me. A person with dementia
doesn’t have to be lonely.
Our motto was adopted
from Maggi Kuhn –
Old age is not a
disease.”