Waipuna Hospice: Fear and misunderstanding cause many to miss out on essential care

Waipuna Hospice patient Baden Jury.

Waipuna Hospice is taking the opportunity to shine a light on hospice awareness this week.

Hospice New Zealand chief executive Wayne Naylor says a significant portion of New Zealanders are not accessing hospice services due to fear, misconceptions, locality and limited understanding.

“A third of the people who die in New Zealand receive hospice care, but many miss out. Last year around 34,000 could have benefited from palliative care, but only 10,800 of them took advantage of the services and support that hospice provides.”

Wayne believes fear and a misunderstanding of what hospice care is are stopping people from accessing it when they need it.

Hospice New Zealand has launched a campaign featuring real-life stories of patients and their families.

Waipuna Hospice CEO Richard Thurlow says hospice is about life, not just death.

“People often think we are only there for those final moments, but the earlier people access hospice, the better. Whether that’s months or even years, getting the benefits of the wrap-around physical, social, spiritual, and emotional support means patients get to live fully until they die.”

Waipuna Hospice patient Baden Jury says, “Everybody here is just so amazing. From my point of view, when you come to Waipuna Hospice, you know you’re going to get treated well because their care is just incredible — I couldn’t fault it. Given it’s a charity, the quality of everything, even the people, is amazing.”

Richard says the service is free for those who need it, but they rely on fundraising and the generosity of the community to continue delivering their care.

■ Hospice Awareness Week is from May 13-19. Waipuna Hospice volunteers will be collecting donations at local supermarkets and shopping centres throughout Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty. https://www.waipunahospice.org.nz/hawk-2024/