Community Health Wairarapa

We work in close contact with your healthcare provider, their team and the asthma and diabetes organisations. Our community nurses educate and support individuals, family members, significant others and groups on awareness, self care and taking control of asthma and diabetes.

By providing professional dietetic advice, support and education, we enable you to make appropriate food choices to meet your needs. This is mainly a hospital inpatient service, but healthcare providers can refer people with a specific need for this service.

Home-based physiotherapy for people unable to access hospital-based services.

Services include:

• education about your condition and self care
• treatment of medical, surgical and orthopaedic conditions
• loan of equipment and mobility aids.

Home services to maintain a person's independence. Provides short term home help and personal care for those recovering from illness.

• Community Support Services (formerly Homelinks) — phone 06 946 9803, Monday to Friday 7am to 4:30pm.

A home-based developmental therapy service for children under 5 years who have a diagnosed disability, general developmental delay and/or are at risk of possible developmental problems.

Services include:

• assessment and implementation of a home-based therapy programme
• assessment and provision of disability equipment
• coordinating with other people and agencies working with the children.

A home-based developmental therapy service for children under 5 years who have a diagnosed disability, general developmental delay and/or are at risk of possible developmental problems.

Services include:

• assessment and implementation of a home-based therapy programme
• assessment and provision of disability equipment
• coordinating with other people and agencies working with the children.

This service is available for assistance with medical or surgical recovery during convalescence.

Older persons' support services in the Wairarapa region (internal link)

Assessment and treatment through activity. Occupational therapy offers assessment, help and support with the tasks, activities and occupations of everyday life.

Services include:

• pre and post hospital discharge visits and at-home assessments
• provision of adaptive equipment and wheelchairs
• consultation for essential housing modifications
• outpatient treatment services.

Assistance for individuals, whānau and groups in the community who have personal or social problems related to illness, health or disability.

Services include:

• social and psychosocial assessments
• access to information and advice on health and disability services and resources
• support with care and service planning after leaving hospital
• support for people caring for others
• tamaiti (child) and disability health support and advocacy
• counselling for individuals and families
• pregnancy counselling
• bereavement support and counselling.

A child protection coordinator trains staff and advises on child healthcare and protection issues.

Speech-language therapy services provide help with communication and swallowing disorders.

Services include:

• assessment and treatment of disorders of language, voice and speech
• eating and swallowing assessment and management
• coordinating with other organisations and professionals
• providing information for the person, whānau and caregiver concerning the communication or swallowing problem
• inpatient and outpatient services.

The oncology service provides:

• support for patients by oncology nurses with specialist knowledge of oncology and curative treatments
• liaison with oncologists and treatment centres
• support and follow up at Wairarapa region oncology outpatient clinics.

The palliative care service provides:

• support for patients by palliative care nurses with specialist knowledge of palliative and curative treatments
• liaison with palliative specialists and treatment centres
• care of the dying and palliative care provision and support for whānau.

The continence service provides:

• assessment of continence
• planning and provision of treatment programmes
• patient education
• prescription for continence supplies
• acute (short term) or post operative care (for example, indwelling urinary catheter care, education, monitoring and supplies, and pre prostate surgery care)
• catheterisation and catheter monitoring and care — female indwelling urinary catheter, and male and female supra pubic catheters
• enuresis (bedwetting) service.

This service is for people who have a clinical need for and will benefit from oxygen therapy — and have been recommended by a respiratory physician. It includes:

• monitoring of the condition and identification of complications
• planning and provision of treatments and therapies
• supply, delivery and care of oxygen equipment
• patient education in oxygen use as prescribed
• advice on related lifestyle adaption
• liaison with the hospital medical registrar, general practitioner or specialist, as required.