Manaaki tangata, caring for the people
It’s the little things that make the services Alzheimers Eastern Bay of Plenty offer so special, according to Manager Sue Cave.
The service takes pride in the way it cares for people, which is evident with its recent Manaaki Tangata Award (caring for the people) – part of the Eastern Bay Chamber of Commerce 2024 HEG Business Awards.
The organisation was also Highly Recommended for the Community Organisation Award.
Sue says the intense selection process was a great opportunity to reflect on the amazing work the team does.
“It’s been very time consuming – but it’s a good process to go through because you take time to reflect on what we are doing well and how we could do better.
“Everyone works really hard, and we sometimes forget to celebrate our successes. But actually, we do some great work and we are making a difference. It’s good to have that recognised.”
The service operates in the region from Pikowai to Lottin Point which includes rural areas such as Murupara, Te Kaha, Opotiki and Kawerau. It’s a massive region which boasts a 50 per cent Māori population, which is reflected in the makeup of the team.
The award has brought some unexpected benefits for the services in terms of local awareness and donations.
Winners were given advertising space at the local cinema as part of their prize, and Sue has since had people approaching her in the street to share their story after recognising her from the big screen.
They have also had an influx of donations – including one business paying for the printing of their local newsletter – and are in talks with other businesses about sponsorship.
There has been an increased understanding about what the service offers in the community, with more and more people dropping in or enquiring about services.
Alzheimers Eastern Bay of Plenty has eight part-time employees, and a team of more than 50 volunteers. The staff provide navigation, community education and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) services to about 180 people, their care partners and whānau.
Volunteers are split between offering respite to whānau care partners – whether it’s taking a person living with dementia mate wareware out for coffee or a drive up the coast – and supporting fundraising efforts.
What’s so special?
Sue says Alzheimers Eastern Bay of Plenty takes pride in tailoring services to individual needs, which means people are getting the support that’s best for them.
For example, they noticed one of their clients attending CST knew all the words to the karakia. They asked if he would like to lead karakia going forward and he was absolutely delighted. His wife told them he was getting up earlier than usual to practice and was telling all his whānau about his new role.
“His whole sense of mana and feeling of worth improved by the simple task of recognising his interest and capability. It’s those little things that are so important to us.”
There was another case where a home visit by a navigator took much longer than expected. Sue was pleasantly surprised to learn nine of their whānau members had attended the visit in support, and the whanau felt very relieved that they could receive some dementia mate wareware education and have their questions answered.
“The outcome was they want to receive support from us, feel they can trust us and they’re not going to get the stock standard approach they were expecting. I’m really proud of the services we provide,” says Sue.
While the navigation services are funded by Health NZ, the rest of the services are self-funded by the service – they come at no cost to those who are supported.
In a perfect world, Sue says they would have more resource to expand the work they do in the region: “for us, it does come down to resourcing because we would love to do more.”
Alzheimers Eastern Bay of Plenty is just one of the many local Alzheimers and dementia services providing vital support to communities around the country. If you or anybody you know needs more support, please reach out to your local service.
Caption: Pictured from left are Board Members Pat Kane, Maria Clark, Jenny Dowthwaite (Chair) Sue Cave (Manager) Judy Ruijne and Peter Hill at the awards ceremony