DHB demands assurances at final meeting
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An assurance Ziman House at Reefton will not be permanently closed by the successor to the West Coast District Health Board has been affirmed by management after a final debate as the DHB wound up this week.
Veteran West Coast health advocate Peter Neame took the board's management to task, and eventually got an assurance when chairman Rick Barker stepped in, asking for a simple "yes or no" answer.
The board as superseded today by the rollout of the new Health NZ and Maori Health Authority. The West Coast, however, one of nine regions selected for a 'locality' pilot which means the community will be consulted on the shape of the new structure and West Coast-specific service delivery.
Neame, an elected board member and retired psychiatric nurse, launched into management at the start of the meeting.
He said the public perceived the DHB's stated plan to reopen the Reefton facility was not genuine.
"There's general perception by the public that there is no intention of this board or a future authority that it would reopen (Ziman House)," he said.
The argument by the board that staffing was behind the temporary closure of the facility was something he "never, ever accepted".
DHB general manager Phillip Wheble repeated that aged residential care on the West Coast was "significantly challenged" at present due to the national nursing shortage and that meant reopening Ziman House was also a challenge.
The issue of staffing was regardless of the mix of private and public aged residential care in the region, he said.
"We've got to look at how we can provide a sustainable service that provides the outcome we want."
Neame replied: "I'm only getting a bureaucratic answer".
Wheble repeated that the board needed to be "innovative".
It was at this stage Barker stepped in.
"Is there a commitment to reopen Ziman House -- yes or no? Let's hear it, without all of the other things," he said.
DHB chief executive Peter Bramley responded with a simple "yes".
Wheble said the full-time equivalent of 5.6 registered nursing staff would be needed for "hospital level care" based on eight patients at Reefton.
Bramley, just appointed as interim South Island manager for Health NZ, repeated his affirmation that the Reefton care facility would open again.
"There is absolute commitment that we reopen Ziman House," he said.
However, that was "on the proviso" of providing a safe level of nursing care.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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