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.
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.
Health Care Assistant Josie Bidois and
Physio Assistant Annie Duffy came up
“It lifts their spirits when they
with the idea as part of discussions to
can
talk and reminisce about the
improve services supporting patients’
Pictured Josie Bidois with Vonnie good old days and a lot of laughter
rehabilitation journey and wellbeing.
Keightley enjoying a cuppa in the
can be heard throughout the ward.
“A lot of our patients are at the stage
ward café.
They like that people know that
in their lives where many of their
they
can
laugh
and
can tell a joke or two.”
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. 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.
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 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.
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 and money does
not change hands.
“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.”
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.
Colin Wright (left) has travelled from Wellington
to see Arthur Rush. The pair has been friends
for more than 50 years.
“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.”
From the Chair
Here we are at the end
of another year - and this
one has certainly been a
busy and eventful year.
A highlight for me personally
each year is the opportunities I
get, as Board Chair, to thank staff
personally for their continual
hard work and contribution to
the success of our DHB. The
staff service recognition awards
at Whakatāne and Tauranga at
this time of year are two events I
really enjoy. We thank those who
have been working with us for 10
years and then every five years
after that. This year we had about
350 staff being recognised. It
is a privilege to be able to say
thank you for the years of service,
working to improve the health of
our communities.
I also want to acknowledge
the rest of the staff and all the
other health providers across
our communities. It is their
dedication and commitment that
means you receive the care you
need throughout the year.
We are constantly looking
at new ways to make our
services more responsive to
our communities’ needs and
this month we have some great
articles for you to read. So
please take the time to enjoy
this edition.
We are soon heading into the
Christmas and holiday season
and many of us will be taking
off for holidays. I want to wish
you all a peaceful Christmas
and holiday period. Enjoy some
relaxation and down time over
the summer and ensure you
Sally Webb, Chair Bay of Plenty
District Health Board
CARE for yourselves and you
whānau. If you are leaving the
Bay for Christmas, safe travels
wherever you go. Everyone
please remember when you are
out in the superb summer we are
going to have SLIP, SLOP, SLAP
and WRAP.
Arohanui
Sally Webb
Bright future: Whetu Matthews (left) with her son Jared Te Iti-Matthews and
General Manager Māori Health Gains and Development Tricia Keelan.a
Dramatic improvement in
tamariki health indicator
Manaakitanga, determination and
teamwork are behind the dramatic
improvement of a Māori health
indicator which has led to a national
target being met for the first time,
says the head of BOPDHB’s Māori
Health Gains and Development. one thing but we are aiming for Toi
Ora, and, that means supporting and
empowering oranga in oral health
and also ensuring timely assessment
and treatment. Untreated oral health
issues go on to affect children long
term if not addressed.”
In a little over 18 months the
number of Bay of Plenty Māori pre-
schoolers enrolled for free dental
health services has risen by over
2,300. That has resulted in a jump
from 59% of the eligible population
enrolled to 96%, exceeding the
national target. “Oranga niho - healthy baby teeth
are important, not only for chewing
food - they contribute to mauri ora,
wairua ora, kōrero and oranga. The
baby teeth also hold spaces for, and
guide, the position of adult teeth.”
“A number of approaches had
been tried but the indicator had not
really moved,” says BOPDHB General
Manager Māori Health Gains and
Development Tricia Keelan. “It was
at 59% in March 2017 but had been
lower before and the team set about
changing that.”
The BOPDHB’s Good to Great
Team in Māori Health Gains and
Development, working closely with
the Community Health 4 Kids team,
has been largely credited for the
success. Key strategies employed
included manaakitanga (mana
enhancing interaction), use of the
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
(IHI) change methodology, data
quality improvements, and
whanaungatanga (relationships) and
contact with parents of pre-schoolers.
“It has been a Māori-led
collaborative approach, where
determination, persistence and
mahitahi have paid off,” says Tricia,
who added that the success was just
the beginning.
“The improvement has highlighted
issues of unmet need in terms of
oral health,” she says. “Enrolment is
Tricia says the success had benefits
for all children in te Moana a Toi as
well.
“Yes we achieved improvement
in Māori pre-school enrolment but
through this work we improved for
non-Māori too. Enrolment for the
total population of pre-schoolers in
BOPDHB is now above the national
target of 95%.”
She says that the task ahead of
the team now was to replicate this
success in other areas and develop a
new Te Toi Ahorangi Strategy.
“This is just the beginning as we
build on this work for improvement
with other Māori health indicators
such as breast screening, breast
feeding and vaccinations.”
“We are currently developing our Te
Toi Ahorangi strategy for te Moana a
Toi (the Bay of Plenty). We are looking
forward to being Toi Ora driven as we
work to influence waiora, whānau ora
and mauri ora for our tamaariki and
their whānau.”
Phone 0800 TALKTEETH (0800 825
583) or 0800 935 5543 to make
an appointment to have your child’s
teeth checked. For more details see
www.bopdhb.govt.nz and search
Talk Teeth.