Mary Potter Hospice

Description

WHAT IS HOSPICE CARE

When a diagnosis is given for an illness to which there is not expected to be a cure the treatment given is no longer active care but palliative care Hospice care is the philosophy surrounding this type of care Mary Potter Hospice offers free palliative care to all people with a terminal illness in the WellingtonPoriruaKapiti region regardless of age religion or ethnic origin The ability to pay is not a factor as all of our services are offered at no charge

Referral to any part of the Hospice programme first requires a patients consent Referral can then be made by a General Practitioner Specialist Medical Practitioner or other health professional Letters of Referral and telephone enquiries are also welcome

Our Vision
Death is a part of life For some death and dying have become silent and unspoken realities Few of us are prepared for their impact on individuals families and friends This lack of preparedness was very much in the mind of Mary Potter when she established the Little Company of Mary in 1877 It was the reason Mary Potter said to her congregation quotour special mission is the dyingquot It was Mary Potters Little Company of Mary who gave our Hospice to the people of Wellington Today the vision of Mary Potter remains very much the vision of our Hospice

Like Mary Potter we respect the dignity and choice of every person That is why our care will continue to encompass the whole person and their family We care about their physical emotional spiritual and social wellbeing In our vision as in Mary Potters we acknowledge that quality of life remains important with the approach of death The provision of highquality care will not be dependent on peoples ability to pay

Our vision like Mary Potters is that all people who are dying will receive highquality care irrespective of their beliefs background or where they may be Our care will be available to all who need it We support the right of people to die as they live We will work with them to minimise their suffering

In our vision we see people who are dying quotmaking the most of lifequot

Our Mission
To provide accessible highquality care and support to people who are dying and their families through a hospice service that combines the skills of highquality health professionals and volunteers

To provide and promote best clinical practice that is research and evidencebased for the care of people who are dying and their families

To be a nationally and internationally recognised centre of excellence in the provision of hospice services and palliative care

To support our vision with best business practice and clear accountability in both governance and management roles

To finance our services through developing a robust base of mixed funding

To provide care which encompasses the whole person with an interdisciplinary approach and reflects our vision and values

To work in an appropriate way with the Tangata Whenua and other peoples in a way that reflects the diversity of New Zealand society

To respond to community needs and work in partnership to improve access and ensure service delivery is always appropriate

To increase acknowledgement that our Hospice is a vital part of our community and a service that the community is willing and eager to support

History

Mary Potter was an English woman born over 150 years ago in whose memory the Hospice is named She was acclaimed as a woman of great vision and ahead of her time in issues of nursing education hygiene hospitality and service Mary Potters philosophies and teachings remain as relevant today as they were then

It was Marys dream to establish a congregation dedicated to work and prayer for the dying She herself knew what it was to suffer from illness and so had a deep understanding and compassion for those who were terminally ill and for their families who suffered with them

The Little Company of Mary was a group of Sisters founded by Mary Potter with a mission to care for dying people They came to Christchurch in 1913 and later established a Foundation in Wellington in 1926

The first Hospice in New Zealand the Mary Potter was established in 1979 at Calvary Hospital in Wellington In February 1988 the Little Company of Mary gifted the Hospice to the people of Wellington