Kōrero me Ngā Kai ki Te Hā o Maru

It was a pleasure for members of the Māori Advisory Group and North Otago Hospice Team to meet and share kai with the team at Te Hā o Maru in Oamaru on Wednesday 25th September.

Te Hā o Maru is a free health and social service provider owned and operated by Te Rūnanga o Moeraki and is dedicated to providing a unique kaupapa Māori approach to health and social services. 

Their aim is to ensure equitable services for Māori and Pacific peoples, with a focus on prevention. The services provided can range from smoke-free coaching, to navigating fast-tracks for hospital care, and include: 

• Social Worker 

• Whānau Ora Navigator - Whānau Ora (healthy families) Navigators work with whānau and families to identify their needs and aspirations, support their participation in core sectors such as housing, education, primary health and employment and link and coordinate access to specialist services. 

• Kairaranga ā Whānau (literal meaning is a person who is a weaver of family connections) 

• Care Coordinator/Registered Nurse 

• Free Nurse led clinic every fortnight (Thursday) 

• Alternative Education/Kura 

The purpose of the hui was to discuss Hospice and explain our services, referencing our commitment to Mauri Mate – A Māori Palliative Care Framework for Hospices committed to equity of access, experience and outcome for all Māori whanau who would benefit from palliative care.   

Following a mihimihi to introduce ourselves to one another, we took part in a shared kai and then spent some time discussing OCH services and inviting questions.  Resources were offered, along with opportunities for education, with a strong emphasis on allowing the team at Te Hā o Maru to identify what they believe would be beneficial for their roles, and for the whānau and community with which they undertake their mahi (work). 

We appreciated the amazing hospitality of Te Hā o Maru and the time given out of their very busy schedule for us to share about our work, and it was a bonus to be able to catch up with Lisa (who unfortunately had to leave prior to the photo being taken) - ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa, ko ngā kaimahi o Te Hā o Maru.