Motueka District Nurses: Specialist Equipment

Motueka District Nurses provide a range of services to the wider Motueka community which are beyond the scope of general practice but do not require hospital admission.

They also work with the Nelson Tasman Hospice to provide a palliative care service in the community. Together with the Hospice they provide equipment to patients to enable them to be treated in their own homes. Often these patients do not qualify for equipment supplied by Te Whatu Ora Nelson Marlborough as they do not meet the criteria and at times there is simply not enough equipment for all patients.

One patient witnessed this shortage first hand during his own terminal illness. He was not always able to access the equipment he needed due to supply and demand issues and understood the difference that this equipment made to the comfort of patients being nursed at home. As a result, he left provision in his Will for the benefit of the Motueka District Nursing Service.

In 2022 this bequest enabled the purchase of various home equipment, including transportable beds, pressure relieving mattresses, wheelchairs, portable ramps, shower chairs and Air chairs. This equipment has been gratefully received by staff and patients alike and has also helped to relieve the strain on Nelson Tasman Hospice’s equipment inventory.