Hine Moeke-Murray, Takatu Hub Co-community lead (manaaki) and Sonya Smith, Takatu Hub Co-community lead (health)
A hub for the team coordinating welfare and health support for people in Tairāwhiti living with COVID-19 is now officially open.
Takatu Hub has been created in response to the changing strategy for dealing with COVID-19 whereby people with the disease are supported to recover at home.
Anyone in Tairāwhiti who receives the news that they have COVID-19 will have all their care and support coordinated by the team based at Takatu Hub above Te Waharoa in Peel St.
The service is a partnership between Te Kupenga Net Trust, Ngāti Porou Hauora, Tūranga Health, General Practice, Ministry of Social Development, Police, Kainga Ora, Gisborne District Council, Tū Mai Tairāwhiti, Trust Tairawhiti, community leaders, and Hauora Tairāwhiti.
Co-community lead (manaaki) Hine Moeke-Murray says the concept of manaaki is at the heart of everything the mātātaki (observation staff) will do for individuals and families.
“We’re working together in our response to wrap support around whānau who find themselves having to manage COVID-19 so they can safely isolate at home. This is a very human response to people who, depending on their circumstances, may feel in distress.”
Once a person tests positive for the virus a mātātaki will let the person know their test result and learn more about what their immediate support needs might be. Urgent care packs containing food and personal care items, as well as a clinical care pack will be dropped off to the whānau within hours of them finding out they have COVID-19.
Ms Moeke-Murray says there’s no barrier to receiving help. “Someone is there for you right at the beginning of your journey. This is a whānau-centred response that involves the whole community. Ahakoa te aha; no matter what.”
Co-community lead (health) Sonya Smith says the vast majority of people who get COVID will have mild to moderate symptoms and will be able to recover at home. “But we need to make sure that those people have the support and clinical care they need to recover safely, and that others in their household are safe as well.”
She says each person will receive ongoing clinical monitoring over the duration of their minimum 10-day isolation to make sure they are coping with their symptoms and are safe to continue being cared for in the community. “In the event of someone requiring hospital-level care or supported isolation they will be safely transferred to hospital, or the appropriate place” says Ms Smith.
“We’ve been informed by what didn’t go well in Auckland. Our local plan centres on leaving no one behind. Manaaki and clinical care go hand-in-hand.”
Thursday’s official opening included a pōwhiri for everyone involved in creating the service, followed by training for a new group of contact tracers. Like everyone working as part of the response, the new contact tracers have been redeployed from health, social services, and iwi organisations.
While the service is in its final stages of creation, Ms Moeke-Murray reminded whānau that they too can take steps to prepare for the fact that COVID-19 is coming. “I urge everyone to talk with the people you live with, and work out how ready you are to deal with COVID-19 in your house.”
Families can prepare by doing two things right away: discussing a household plan around emergency contacts and the people who will be able to support your family during isolation; and having basic items on hand to deal with COVID-19 symptoms and hygiene. An emergency plan can be found here on the Unite Against COVID-19 website.
Find out more about the Care in the Community Framework
View the Takatū Hub stakeholder package here.