New service supports patient to stay well and out of hospital
For Whakatāne man Willy Kouka going to the Emergency Department at Whakatāne Hospital had become a regular occurrence . Struggling with multiple health issues including asthma and other respiratory illnesses , pre-diabetes , as well as his weight had all put a strain on his heart . And that had seen him going to ED on average every seven weeks .
But since the hospital started trialling a new service designed to support people to better manage their health at home , Willy , a former New Zealand Jiu Jitsu representative , has been back there only once in the last 21 weeks .
The Kaupapa Māori Emergency Department Nursing Service ( KMED ) sees Nurse Practitioner Theresa Ngamoki following up patients at home who ’ ve gone to the Emergency Department ( ED ) for treatment for conditions such as asthma , heart failure , gout and the like .
“ A large part of my role is connecting patients to the right mix of health services both within the hospital as well as the community . They may not access key health services early or often enough , such as those provided by their Hauora Māori , General Practice or community pharmacy teams . Then their health worsens and they end up in ED .
“ The KMED service is filling a gap . It follows a Whānau Ora model of care ; putting the patient and their family at the centre and co-ordinating with other health and support agencies to improve health ,” says Theresa .
Retired Nurse gives back to Children ’ s Ward
For Willy , grappling with multiple health issues , the service has been the catalyst to start working on his health .
“ My brother died in his forties from heart disease . Going to hospital all the time , short of breath , I thought I was going to be the same . I know I ’ ve got a long way to go but my health is slowly improving .”
One of the key things that ’ s made a difference to Willy ’ s life , is getting enough sleep .
“ I ’ ve got Sleep Apnea . Theresa got me to see Respiratory Speciality Nurse Pete Cole . I ’ m now using a machine that I trust and getting about five to six hours of sleep a night , when I was only getting a couple .”
Theresa says a real team approach to Willy ’ s healthcare starting with his GP connecting him to other services pro-vided in the community by the Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance ( EBPHA ) as well as hospital services like the Respiratory Clinic , has helped Willy and kept him out of ED .
Willy says he ’ s learnt a lot from EBPHA services including the Heart Health Self-Management education classes provided by Caroline Steens and Integrated Case Management for patients with chronic conditions with Lilian Hermann .
“ I ’ ve got clothes at home I ’ d like to fit back into . Fruit andvegies are expensive . I know I can cut the sugar and bread , it ’ s up to me .
Fuelled to learn
Willy Kouka ( centre ) with Kaupapa Māori Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner Theresa Ngamoki ( left ) and BOPDHB Regional Māori Health Services Director Amohaere Tangitu .
“ I ’ m making progress slowly . I can now reach down and put my socks on myself . It ’ s a step in the right direction ,” says Willy .
“ What ’ s sometimes overlooked are the issues facing people which prevent them from getting healthcare when they need it . Cost , transport problems , time off work to attend appointments , misunderstanding of complex health language ; these are real issues which the KMED service is unravelling and working to address ,” says Theresa Ngamoki .
Shirley Joss ( centre ) presents staff at Whakatāne Hospital ’ s Children ’ s Ward with vouchers she won in the Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal . From left to right : Cleaner Kate Black , Enrolled Nurse Carol Murphy , Shirley Joss , Nurse Manager Sharon Powley , Nurse Leader Maurice Chamberlain , and Dr Jane Eardley .
Ōhope woman Shirley Joss spent 17 years nursing sick children at Whakatāne Hospital . So when she won a bundle of vouchers in the recent Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal , the Children ’ s Ward was at the forefront of her mind for recipients .
Shirley who retired from nursing more than 20 years ago , works as a volunteer at the Presbyterian Op Shop and that ’ s where she bought her winning ticket .
“ I only bought one ticket . I buy a raffle ticket for the Kids Hospital Appeal every year . When I got a phone call from the Otahuhu police station saying I ’ d won second prize , I thought it was a scam . I didn ’ t expect to hear from them .”
Several phone calls later , Shirley had it confirmed that she had won one of the major raffle prizes ; an undisclosed sum of vouchers .
“ I don ’ t have to worry about Christmas presents this year . I ’ ve divvied up the vouchers amongst my children , grandchildren , great-grandchildren and the Children ’ s Ward .
The Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal has raised more than $ 10.4 million since it first began ten years ago . Funds raised go towards much-needed medical equipment for children ’ s hospital wards across New Zealand including in Whakatāne and Tauranga .
Shirley presented the vouchers to staff in the Children ’ s Ward at Whakatane Hospital recently .
Paediatric Ward Clinical Nurse Manager Sharon Powley says , “ It ’ s a really kind gesture and we ’ re grateful that Shirley thought of us .
“ Being sick in hospital is never nice for children , especially at Christmas or in the holiday season . The vouchers will really boost our fund for things that make their stay a little more comfortable .”
Children from Tawera Bilingual School in Ruatoki recently took a tour of the supermarket as part of an EBPHA initiative focused on encouraging healthy eating habits .
Efforts are underway across the country to stem the tide of childhood obesity with one in 10 children regarded as obese , and two in 10 overweight .
The EBPHA with the support of the Heart Foundation has been working with schools to educate children about the nutritional value of food and drink .
EBPHA Community Maternal , Child and Youth Dietitian Nikki Coates says “ The nutritional value of food has an impact not only on the general health of children but also their ability to learn .”
Evidence shows poor diet and nutrition are associated with lower academic achievement .
“ In the classroom sessions we look at the amount of sugar in fizzy drinks . A lot of people don ’ t realise that children who consume one sugary drink or more per day are more likely to be overweight or obese than children who don ’ t .
“ Having one or two sugary drinks a day increases the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes and the high sugar content and acidity of many sugary drinks can cause tooth decay .”
Tawera Bilingual students on a supermarket tour learning about good food choices . From left to right : Lancia Turnbull , Romania Tumoana-Martin , Marnie Morehu , Rama Hamiora and Terehia TeMoana .
Nikki says students are encouraged to drink water or milk instead .
She says the supermarket tour helps the children to recognise what to look out for when making food choices and how to read the nutritional value on food labels .
If you would like Nikki to come and talk to a your students or a community group contact her on 07 3062324 or nikki . coates @ ebpha . org . nz