We recently opened a new home called Millvale House Napier. We are fortunate to have Angela join us as Clinical Manager and Fran join us as Operations Coordinator. They have been enjoying setting up the home and welcoming residents.

Greetings from Andrew Sheard

It has been an eventful start to the year around our homes. It has been lovely to see residents enjoying some autumn sun and Easter and ANZAC Day celebrations as I’ve been visiting each of our homes recently.

We have recently opened a new home in Napier. The home is called Millvale House Napier and offers care for people with advanced dementia. It is the only home offering psychogeriatric care in Napier. It is always nice to be able to provide care closer to people’s homes.

Our team has done a great job setting up and welcoming our first residents.

We had a fire at Millvale House Levin a month or so ago. The fire was caused by an electrical fitting in the ceiling. The sprinklers helped to suppress the fire but also caused significant water damage. Fortunately, everyone was okay.

Our staff team did an amazing job evacuating residents who were then relocated to the Levin Fire Station for much of the day. We were fortunate to able to move back into the undamaged parts of the home in the afternoon.

The support we received from the Levin community and further afield was incredible.

The Fire and Emergency NZ crews went above and beyond, not only helping to evacuate our residents and ensure the fire was out, but also hosting our residents for the day while the unaffected area of the rest home was made safe for residents to return to.

We had massive support from our neighbours who supported residents and staff as they were evacuated and waiting for transport, and from taxi drivers who helped to transport residents to the Fire Station. Once at the Fire Station, family members came to assist our brilliant staff team in looking after residents.

Over the course of the day our team, who went over and above, worked closely with tradespeople, Fire and Emergency NZ and Horowhenua District Council, to get the unaffected parts of the home checked and made safe for our residents to move back in. Over the days that followed we received wonderful support and kindness from the Mid Central Ageing Well team at Te Whatu Ora.

This event showed the strength of the community around us and we are very thankful to have so many positives to reflect on. It is great to be part of such a caring and supportive community.

Thank you all for being part of the community around each one of our homes. We really appreciate it.

Andrew Sheard, Managing Director

We caught up with some of the team from Millvale House Levin who were working on the night of the fire. It was a chance to hear how they were feeling and thank them for their efforts that night. 

Clinical Managers development days

We recently had the opportunity for all of our Clinical Managers to spend time together on the beautiful Kapiti Coast. This is something we have been unable to do for a few years due to the pandemic.

This was a time when our Clinical Managers could meet each other in person, and share experiences and stories. It was also an opportunity to take part in some professional development. We invited three presenters from outside of the organisation. Taryn Barnes from USL gave an interesting presentation about pressure injury prevention and wound care. Duncan Sutherland, a pharmacist, led a question and answer session on many areas related to medication management. Our third speaker was Zechariah Reuelu who shared the story of his journey growing up on the island of Tokelau and then moving to New Zealand. He gave us a unique perspective on the culture and values of people from Pacific Islands. We are very grateful to these presenters for sharing their expert knowledge with us.

Members of the DCNZ team (Andrew, Megan, Urmee, Arrah, Maira and myself) also facilitated sessions with the group, and we also shared a meal together in the evening.

Our time spent together was beneficial in many ways, not just because of the knowledge that we attained, but it also enabled us to enjoy each other’s company and feel part of a wider team. Our Clinical Managers are highly skilled and lead our clinical teams in our facilities and it was impressive to hear them share their knowledge and experience.

Simon Hamley, Education Coordinator

At the clinical managers days, we all enjoyed a presentation by Arrah Bagtang who is one of our Regional Clinical Managers. In it, Arrah talked about self-reflection and the importance of noticing and taking in the learning opportunities that each day provides. Here is a quote from her My Leadership Journey presentation.

“I  strive to become a better leader today than yesterday.”

Our team of clinical managers gathered  in Paraparaumu for a couple of days recently. This was an important opportunity for them to connect with their wider team, share skills and knowledge and enjoy being together while engaging in some professional development.

Registered Nurse Recruitment

In November 2023 we shared with you  the challenges of the nationwide nursing shortage in New Zealand due to Covid-19 and immigration difficulties,  and how this has impacted the health workforce. During this  time we have been reliant on the internationally trained nurses to fill the workforce gap.

This has changed swiftly over the last five months and we now have a full complement of Registered Nurses across the organisation.

We have supported a number of internationally qualified nurses to become New Zealand Registered Nurses. We have also been able to recruit Registered Nurses who embody our vision and values with the nationwide shortage easing. 

We have recognised the leadership capabilities of some of our Registered Nurses, promoting them to become Clinical Managers.

Our focus has shifted to providing support, training and supervision to Clinical Managers and Registered Nurses to ensure we provide the highest level of care to our residents. 

Arrah Bagtang and Urmee Rahman, Regional Clinical Managers

Magic Moment

One of our residents doesn't communicate much. When two of her friends paid her a visit one morning, they mentioned that they hadn't seen the resident in 10 years. The resident called them by name and grinned broadly at the sight of them. Her friends were moved to tears and delighted that she could still recognise them, and we were all amazed to witness it.