Message from Canterbury District Health Board

Message from Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) Chief Executive, David Meates.

I would like to sincerely thank Aged Residential Care Providers, Community and District Nursing, Home Based Support services, Disability providers and Primary Care services for their response following the earthquake. Their commitment to ensuring our health services have been able to respond to the needs of the community during this very difficult time has been truly impressive.

I would like to add a special thank you to all the volunteers who provided additional support during this time You are all greatly appreciated and demonstrate what a strong community we have here in Canterbury. We also appreciate all the support offered to us from around the country.

Community services continued to operate under the most trying circumstances with staff turning up to work, despite having to leave their families and damaged housing, to check on the most vulnerable people in our community and ensure they had appropriate supports in place.

Following the large quake, Aged Residential Care became a sector under pressure with a number of people seeking respite and residential placement. This was compounded by two facilities suffering significant structural damage, which required the relocation of residents.

CDHB decided to centralise access into Aged Residential Care for all admissions while we were in a State of Emergency.

Stella Ward, CDHB’s Executive Director Allied Health said, “this move enabled us to ensure that room was available for residents to be relocated, and that access to respite care was prioritised based on clinical need,”

Throughout the response the number of available beds was continually changing because of water, power and sewerage issues - and the ongoing effect of aftershocks. To ensure there would always be enough capacity available for long term residents, a respite facility was opened in Ward 3B at The Princess Margaret Hospital. Admissions to this service ceased on 14 September.

The Aged Residential Care sector showed great unity in responding to the earthquake and people are continuing to work together to make sure residents who have been relocated are settled and supported to cope with the dramatic experience of losing their home.

ENDS