In its first two months, Hospice West Auckland’s He Whare Korowai – Home From Home 24/7 facility has been very well-utilised, supporting over 24 patients through respite care, symptom management, and end-of-life care. The facility has welcomed people of different cultures, ages, and backgrounds, achieving its aim of being a more comfortable and culturally appropriate alternative to traditional inpatient care.
For Alvin, a recent week-long stay for respite care in He Whare Korowai was more than just a break from routine – it was “a gift”. Living with cancer and cared for at home by his elderly parents, Alvin understands just how demanding it can be for families when illness enters the picture.
“When my nurse Ella first told us about respite care, it almost sounded too good to be true,” he says. “A place where I’d be comfortable, supported by nurses 24/7, and at no cost! And to give Mum and Dad the chance to rest – it sounded amazing.”
With Alvin living with his parents just in the neighbouring suburb, they all knew that visiting would be easy, and he was comforted by the knowledge that for the first time in a long while, his parents could go home and truly switch off.
“Looking after someone with cancer is 24/7,” he explains. “It’s a reversal of roles, something I feel I should be doing for them, not the other way around. Staying here at Hospice gave me peace of mind knowing they could rest, and knowing I was being so well looked after.”
During his week-long stay in respite care, Alvin experienced the full breadth of Hospice care. This included round-the-clock nursing support, emotional and psychological care, massage therapy, and the comfort of being surrounded by a team of Hospice staff who genuinely care. His Primary Care Nurse Ella and other members of the Community Clinical team also continued to see him, ensuring important continuity of care. “It’s not just the medication or the physical care,” he says. “It’s the way people treat you. They don’t tiptoe around things. They meet you where you’re at, and that makes everything feel more manageable.”
Patient suites at He Whare Korowai – Home From Home
Alvin also enjoyed how the respite stay gave him space to think. With his symptoms more stable and his anxiety better managed, he found himself looking ahead for the first time in a while. “That week gave me headspace,” he says. “It helped me realise there’s still value in what I can do and still ways I might give back. I feel stronger mentally and physically.”
Originally given a prognosis of three to six months, Alvin is now approaching a year since diagnosis and feeling better than he ever expected. He’s deeply aware that this experience could have been very different had he been living elsewhere. “I always say to people that I’m lucky, in a sense, because I’ve got cancer here in New Zealand and not in Malaysia, where I’m from,” he explains. “There’s no Hospice service there – you’ve got a public hospital and otherwise it’s private care which is so expensive. The fact that this care is available because of community support, donations, op shops is incredible.”
As Alvin’s week at He Whare Korowai drew to a close, he appreciated the small, kind moments: staff stopping by at the end of their shifts to say goodbye, familiar faces from the Community Clinical team checking on him, and members of the Social Care team dropping in, all so glad to see how rested and well he looked.
The Douglas Lounge, where patients and whānau can relax
“It’s been a week I’ll always be grateful for,” Alvin says. “For my parents, for me, Hospice has made an incredibly hard journey so much easier. The more people understand what Hospice really does, the better. I’m just so thankful.”
