Patient support
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Tikanga Māori
Kaitiaki service
Our kaitiaki team offers cultural values, practises and beliefs for you as Māori and your whānau while in hospital- kanohi ki te kanohi. Kaitiaki intervention is guided by health sector principles, Māori health consumers and the lived experience of their whānau.
You can request kaitiaki support at any point during your pre-admission appointments or when you arrive in hospital.
For more information about Karakia, Taonga / Pounamu and Return of Body tissue, click here.
Spiritual support
Hospital chaplains are available to provide spiritual care to patients and their whānau, regardless of religious or cultural backgrounds.
For information on the chaplain service and access to chapel services and quiet prayer rooms at Waikato Hospital, click here.
Interpreters
An interpreter can support:
- People who do not speak English, or do not speak it with confidence
- People who communicate with sign language
While it is helpful having bilingual family members nearby to help communicate with staff, an interpreter may be needed to help with medical conversations and completing consent forms. This is usually identified before your surgery, so the interpreter can be booked to be available when you arrive in hospital. Depending on the language your family member speaks, this interpreter may be with you in person, or available over the phone.
Patient advocates
The national Health and Disability Advocacy network provides a free service and can assist you to resolve your complaint about a health or disability service.
Health and Disability Advocacy
www.advocacy.org.nz
0800 555 050
Managing anxiety
Having an operation can be a very big deal and you may find you feel worried or anxious while you are waiting for surgery, or when you get to hospital. It’s important to recognise if you are having those feelings, and ideally work with your whānau to find ways to help you relax and keep positive. Some people like mindfulness exercises, or breathing techniques.
You can find lots of helpful information here, or your GP may be able to offer you useful resources.
You can have a support person stay with you in DOSA before surgery. Cultural and spiritual support through the kaitiaki and chaplain service is available before and after surgery if requested.
Travel assistance
If you need help with transport to and from Waikato Hospital for clinic appointments or hospital admission, click here for information on available community health transport shuttles throughout the Waikato.
For financial support in travelling to your specialist appointments, click here.