Linda Cooper’s connection to Hospice West Auckland spans decades. From her time as a Trustee from 2003 – 2007 and Acting CEO in 2004 to her leadership as Board Chair from 2007 to 2013, she was pivotal in shaping the organisation during a period of significant growth and change. She continues to advocate for equitable, community-based Hospice care in West Auckland.
It really started with the realisation that we had outgrown Woodford House.
Back in the early 2000s, the Board could see very clearly that West Auckland needed more. We wanted to provide choices for the people of West Auckland. We firmly believed that our community deserved the same options as any other part of New Zealand when it comes to palliative care.
We were often approached by people who were upset or confused. They’d say, “Why did my family member have to go to the North Shore to die?” Or “Why don’t we have beds here?” That question sat with us all the time. We knew Woodford House was never going to be big enough to offer those options, and that sent us on a long journey. We had to find the right place, and the right type of building, to offer more.
Linda with Dr Ritchie Gilmour at a Hospice fundraiser
Our search took a while. There were many iterations, lots of stops and starts. Eventually, after all of that, we decided to build the current Hospice House in Te Atatū Peninsula and have an inpatient unit alongside it. Unfortunately, that initial plan didn’t work out as hoped so we settled on refitting Hospice House instead. Construction on four specialist palliative care inpatient beds began in 2012. Funding wasn’t great, and in many ways we just had to give it a go.
In 2013, we were able to open two inpatient beds at Hospice House. Then in 2014, we opened two more. That was a huge step forward, and it meant that, finally, West Aucklanders had real choice close to home.
It was very warmly welcomed by our community. They were called the ‘Kowhai Suites’ and were opened by the Prime Minister at the time, John Key, who was a big Hospice supporter. That meant a lot, but what mattered most was what it represented for West Auckland.
For me, it’s always come down to choice. People should have the choice to stay at home, the choice to be in hospital, or the choice to be in an aged care facility. Too often, people in our Waitākere community had felt short-changed.
It’s also incredibly distressing to have your loved one so far away. If you think about someone living in Huia or Piha, that journey to the North Shore can be 70 kilometres one way. That’s 140 kilometres round trip! For many families – especially in our less well-off communities – that’s not just petrol money. People are working jobs where they’re docked pay for time off because they’re not salaried workers. They have to weigh up whether they can afford to visit at all. That’s not fair, and we had to think about that.
I became Board Chair in 2007, and throughout my time, the focus was always on providing those inpatient beds. But that strategy was never to the detriment of our community service. That service has always been fantastic, and over time it’s grown into a really comprehensive operation, with things like telehealth and strong clinical support in the community.
Unfortunately, the reality of funding caught up with us. In 2018, the inpatient beds had to close due to a shortfall in government funding and the ongoing challenges of finding specialist palliative care staff. That was incredibly hard, but the intention behind those beds never changed.
Over time, the one true north has always been this: every Board, in every iteration, has wanted to provide those opportunities for our community. People shouldn’t miss out in West Auckland, or because the funding isn’t there. So it’s wonderful to see the new He Whare Korowai – Home From Home model with beds open at Hospice House. It brings that choice back to West Auckland.
For me personally, I’ve always believed deeply in the kaupapa and the Hospice mission. I come from a background in nursing and community, and I’m a believer in getting stuck in and actually doing the work. A lot of people say, “This needs to happen,” and not do anything about it. In West Auckland we tend to step up and make it happen because we know no one else will do it for us. That’s what I love about this rohe.
Linda with Jeff Douglas at He Whare Korowai – Home From Home opening
