Hospital Chaplaincy There For Others

Friday, 21 September 2007, 10:06 am
Press Release: Waikato District Health Board

Media Release

Date: 21 September 2007

Hospital Chaplaincy There For Others

There are many reasons why Waikato Hospital patients talk to the chaplains.

Sometimes it's just a friendly chat, sometimes patients need emotional support and sometimes patients want some spiritual support. No matter what your beliefs are or what your need is, the Waikato Hospital chaplains are there to listen and be there for others.

Heather Nelson is one such person who uses the chaplaincy service. Heather is a 66-year-old patient in renal failure. This means her kidneys do not work at all and she has to come up to the hospital three times a week for dialysis. On top of this she comes to the hospital the other two days a week for a specialised hydrotherapy programme to help with her arthritis and numb feet.

Being at the hospital five days a week is tough especially when you are not allowed to move while on the dialysis machine for five straight hours. Having one arm taken up for the dialysis also means there is not much she can do. While she can read magazines, it is difficult to hold a book with one hand and there is not much else to do other than sleeping, talking, and thinking.

This is where the chaplains come in. Every week, a chaplain or chaplaincy assistant comes to have a chat to Heather. Depending on how much time they have and how Heather is feeling, Heather and the chaplains talk about "anything and everything", including current events, books, movies, or what is happening in Heather's life.

Heather looks forward to her visit from the chaplains. To them she's not just a body in a bed or another number - she's a real person. For Heather, the chaplains are encouraging, they lift her spirits, brighten her day, and "keep her buoyancy tank in good order".

Heather is very aware that she will be on dialysis for the rest of her life - having decided that there are other younger people out there who could use a kidney, with over 500 people on the waiting list. Having the chaplains come to visit is an important part of keeping her spirits up, as knowing she will be at the hospital every week for the rest of her life can be quite a daunting concept.

Heather, who is a Justice of the Peace, is very grateful for the services she receives. From the St Johns health shuttle service which takes her to the hospital every day, to the nurses and doctors who help her on the ward, and the chaplains who are there to listen and support her.

The five chaplains and their team of unpaid volunteers are often at the hospital all night and all weekend. The chaplains get money from some government funding and church donations - but there is still a big shortfall. Next week (September 24-30) is the National Chaplaincy Awareness Week - a way to fundraise for the chaplaincy service at Waikato Hospital, and other hospitals all over the country. The chaplains don't get paid a big salary. They do the job for the love of it, and to be there for others.

Please give generously to the appeal for the chaplains this week. Donations can be sent to the Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy, P.O. Box 6427. Alternatively donations can be made at www.beingthere.co.nz. Donors can choose whether their donation is sent to the Waikato Hospital service or is put into the nationwide service.

By giving even a small donation, your money can help the chaplains to be there for others. They may even be there for you one day.

Ends

© Scoop Media

Waikato District Health Board

Healthy People. Excellent Care

Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.

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