Hospice selling house to fund services

As Hospice West Auckland celebrates 25 years of service to the West Auckland community, plans are underway to sell the original Hospice House.

Increased demand for care has led Hospice West Auckland to sell the property to fund the expansion of current services in the area.

The Woodford Avenue house in Henderson, which has been leased by Plunket for the past six years, was purchased by the hospice board in 1988 following the gifting of land by the former Waitakere City Council.

Through fundraising, assistance from Henderson Rotary and local contractors who offered services for free, the house was renovated and tranquil gardens established.

The following decade saw the home utilised as a base for Homecare nurses, patients and other staff to use for clinics and day programmes. But by 2005 the service had outgrown its original premises and moved to a new purpose built building in Beach Road, Te Atatu.

Chief executive Barbara Williams says needs have grown substantially and it is hoped the income from selling the original house will help fund expanded services.

"For 25 years we have been a Hospice dedicated to enabling people to die in their own homes," says Ms Williams.

"However, we have grown hugely and we are now looking to expand our services to include in-house care facilities for people who need more specialised care."

Hospice West Auckland was first set up a quarter of a century ago by nurse Beverley Revell in her home.

Today its specialist palliative care team provides round-the-clock care to approximately 170 patients and their families and more than 10,000 visits to patients are made each year.

Half of the $3.9 million in the Hospice's annual operating costs is raised through fundraising, business support, trusts and grants, and private donations.

"We always have a huge need to secure funding over and above what we receive each year from the District Health Board."

Ms Williams says the board is still considering the most suitable land for new plans.