Ways of helping

By ESTELLE SARNEY

Mike Williams spends his days surrounded by ears, eyes, noses, fingers and other body parts.

"If you lose part of your body, we can replace it," smiles the genial maxillofacial technician.

Based at Waikato Hospital, Williams works with patients who have lost parts of their bodies through disease, accidents or congenital abnormalities. He also helps to plan for corrective surgery that includes his prostheses. Maxillofacial technicians train as dental technicians first.

"You also need an artistic bent," adds Williams. "You're sculpting and colouring to match individual patients' bodies. My biggest challenge is getting skin colour right."

Williams finds working one-on-one with patients to make their prosthesis rewarding, particularly when the technology improves.

"I saw a chap recently who had lost most of the right side of his face to skin cancer. We were able to make a base plate that he can glue on for up to four days, and attach his facial prosthesis to it with magnets.

"Magnets are better than glue at retaining a prosthesis if there is a lot of movement in the face. He's stoked, because he feels he can rehabilitate from surgery quite successfully."

Training: A three-year degree in dental technology, then a two-year post-graduate programme in maxillofacial technology.

Pay: $45,000 to $50,000 (all maxillofacial technicians work in the public health service).

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Andrew Thompson - occupational therapist

Thompson has worked in computers, on a farm, as a salesman, a barman and was a yuppie in London in the 80s, but being an occupational therapist has brought him the most satisfaction.

"It fills my cup up. I have a passion for working with people who have lost things, who are not as fortunate or as well as I am."

Thompson is the clinical leader of occupational therapies in mental health for Waikato District Health Board, and works in an acute-inpatient ward.

"You see people sitting around thinking about their past or their problems, then you take them to do some basic cooking or something, and there is this transformation as they start to function again."

Thompson says occupational therapy is about helping people regain or develop everyday skills so they can lead active and satisfying lives.

That might be simply looking after themselves at home, or socialising with family, participating in sport, or working at their chosen job.

"I talked to a lady today who had been totally traumatised. She's just got her old job back."

Therapists can work in rehabilitation, child development, in schools or with the elderly.

He says it's a good job with which to travel - a 22-year-old colleague is earning $50 an hour in London.

"It can be draining, working with sick people all the time, but there are support structures. Good therapists are those who enjoy dealing with people, are good communicators, and creative at solving problems."

Training: A three-year degree course.

Pay: $32,000-$55,000. Most therapists are employed by the public health service, non-governmental organisations or community accommodation providers.

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Pru Etcheverry - health charity manager

Etcheverry, executive director of the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation, recalls a wife's gratitude for the simple gift of petrol vouchers that meant she could travel to be with her husband in hospital.

"The huge gratitude for things like this, which are relatively small, is really rewarding," says Etcheverry.

The former nurse moved from the commercial world of pharmaceutical companies to the not-for-profit sector a year ago.

"My previous experience highlighted to me the lack of access to health care and drugs for some patients," she says. "I wanted to become more involved in helping people in that area. A year later I feel really good about making the change."

Now, she focuses on beefing up patient support services. This includes employing specialist haematology nurses to provide information, home visits, and helping set up support groups.

The foundation also provides money and petrol vouchers to help people attend appointments, and will even provide supermarket vouchers and pay power bills for families when the main earner has had to stop work to support a sick spouse. It wants to provide more accommodation for long-term patients and their families who live far from hospital, and acts as a patient advocate.

Etcheverry's week might include meeting medical specialists about improving patient facilities and companies that might help to raise money for those improvements.

"Communication skills with people at all levels are the key," she says. "You need to be flexible, as every day is different. A background in staff and budget management is important.

"Working for a not-for-profit organisation, you don't have the luxury of extra money or staff to draw on, so you have to be creative in solving problems."

Training: Experience in business management, marketing or fundraising. A background in healthcare is helpful, but not essential.

Pay: $70,000-$150,000.