Anne Hickey and Pam Joll are welcomed to Waireka care home by Richard Daymond. Photo / Leanne Warr
“We want to be very much part of the community,” say the new owners of Waireka Care Home.
The home, which has been in operation for 40 years, and under Bupa for the last 10, has now been bought by New Zealand Aged Care Services Ltd to be known as Waireka Lifecare.
The change of ownership was made official at a powhiri held last week at the care home.
Pam Joll, general manager, clinical and operations, says Aged Care Services is a New Zealand-owned company that was incorporated in 2020.
The company has 10 care homes in New Zealand, including Waireka, as well as Rahiri Care home in Dannevirke.
Pam says Waireka is the only aged care provider in Pahīatua.
She says they were also looking at what more they can do for the community.
Richard Daymond, head of Māori at Tararua College, spoke at the powhiri on behalf of the community, emphasising the importance of the elders within the care home.
He spoke on how the elders and the people of the Pahīatua community had “helped us get to where we are today”.
“We have so many different families connected to these people.”
The care home included residents from Woodville as well as Pahīatua.
Pam told those who attended the morning’s welcome that she grew up in Palmerston North.
“So this feels like home territory for me.”
Transition manager Anne Hickey also had connections in Pahīatua.
“We feel very much part of Waireka but also part of the Pahīatua community.
“We know how important you are.”
Pam says the work they and all the staff do at the facility was “about the people”.
“That’s something that we want to continue to do.”
One of the things Aged Care Services was looking at was offering a place for others to come for daycare and support.
“Have a meal, socialise, spend some time before they go home.”
She says it was an important part of them being able to live in the community - having the support when needed.
“That’s something that we want Waireka to be able to offer to the wider community.”
Pam says the nice thing about only having 10 homes is that when they want to sort things out or make decisions, they talk to each other.
“It means we have the opportunity to be here more often because we haven’t got such a big group to get around.
“We get to know you and we get to know your family, the staff and how you operate.”
She says she looks forward to forming relationships, making friendships and getting to know people better over time.
While there may be some changes over time, they would only be done if they were going to be of benefit.
“We’re not interested in changing for the sake of it.
Of the powhiri, she says it’s nice to mark the start of a new beginning.
The ceremony was brought to a close with the cutting of a cake and a morning tea held with staff and residents.
Council proposes to remove housing development from future plans due to risk.