Whānau Care Services

What we do

Working with you to achieve the best health outcomes for Māori patients and their whānau

Whānau Care Services is part of our Māori Health Development Group and provides clinical, advocacy and support services for patients and whānau. The team also help patients and whānau engage with and access hospital and community health and social services.

Our team can help you explain your cultural and spiritual requirements to your treating team when you are a patient and work with staff to meet your tikanga needs.

You can request that a kaiawhina will visit you and/or your whānau at any time, whether you are an inpatient or an outpatient.

Our Cardiac Liaison Nurse provides support and advocacy to Māori referred to cardio-related services.

The team can also provide:

Tikanga Support

Karakia
Return of body parts
Issues of tapu/noa
Clinical processes

Communication Support

Explaining clinical information, treatment plans, options.
Whānau hui

Grief and loss support

Support during terminal illness and at the time of death
Assistance for bereaved whānau

Social Work

Our social workers look after your total wellbeing, providing manaakitanga and support counselling as well as providing

Advice and guidance
Practical help and information about accessing a variety of health and social services.

Whānau Care Services also support staff providing health care to Māori

Patient friends and family service

Whānau care will be supporting patients in hospital to stay connected to wider whānau while visiting restrictions are in place.

What we offer	Who for
Facilitate collection and delivery of email and phone messages from wider family and friends of the patient	Available to ALL patients*
Daily ward visits to deliver messages (via ward staff or directly to patients)	Available to ALL patients*
Facilitation of scheduled video calling (via Zoom) to family & friends	Available for patients without their own device and not in isolation*

*All services will be delivered in appropriate ways and subject to clinical patient care requirements

If you would like to use this service, please contact us.

Email: wcs@ccdhb.org.nz

Phone: (04) 806 0948

Office Hours: Mon- Fri 8.00am-6.00pm

Key tips for helping us keep in touch

Please make sure you or your family member’s patient information is correct so we have the right contact details for you.
Choose/assign a whānau member as a key contact for our staff. We ask that this key contact shares information about the patient with the wider whānau, to enable staff to prioritise patient care. We will provide the key family contact with regular updates on the wellbeing on your loved one
If you are able to visit, you will be screened each time you visit and will be refused entry if you are sick or are required to be self-isolating. Exceptions to the visitor restrictions are made on a case by case basis.

Need help finding accommodation?

We know not being able to visit your loved ones in hospital can be stressful and upsetting. Our patient friends and family service helps you keep in touch when you can't visit.

Find out more about this service