Media Release

Date: Monday 14 January 2013

Start Service Takes Patient From Shaky To Strong

Kevin Lichtwark experienced problems with his balance after undergoing coronary surgery and it left him feeling “incompetent and very down”.

Two months later, thanks to persistent support from Waikato DHB’s START team, the 77-year-old Hamilton man’s physical and emotional stability have improved “out of sight”.

START stands for Supported Transfer and Accelerated Rehabilitation Team and is a multidisciplinary group with expertise in rehabilitation. The team works with patients and their families in the patient’s own home to set rehabilitation goals and help patients to reach those goals.

In Kevin’s case, members of the START team assisted him almost every day twice a day for five weeks until his balance and confidence were restored. Kevin was so impressed with the service he hand-wrote his gratitude to START staff.

Read the rest of the media release.

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About Waikato District Health Board and Health Waikato:

Waikato DHB is responsible for planning, funding and providing quality health and disability support services for the 373,220 people living in the Waikato DHB region. It has an annual turnover of $1.2 billion and employs more than 6450 people.

Health Waikato is the DHB’s main provider of hospital and health services. It has six groups across five hospital sites, three primary birthing units, two continuing care facilities and 20 community bases offering a comprehensive range of primary, secondary and tertiary health services.

A wide range of independent providers deliver other Waikato DHB-funded health services - including primary health, pharmacies and community laboratories.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>