Kowhai Companions

Nau mai, Haere mai koutou
katoa
- Make

a difference in someone - s life by developing meaningful relationships
- Gain
an understanding of working in healthcare and be a valuable member of the hospital team
- Work
experience which may benefit your career
About the Kōwhai ProgrammeThe Kowhai Programme trains
volunteers to provide
person centred emotional
tautoko / support and manaaki/practical assistance to at risk patients in hospital. The
programme is also designed to support
whānau / family
or carers when they are unable to be with their loved
one, or tautoko those
patients who do not have whānau / family support.
About the Kōwhai Companion
RoleThe Kōwhai Companion
role provides tautoko
which would usually
be provided by whānau or a carer.
By gaining an understanding of the patient - s background, their whānau,
identity, personal preferences and activities they enjoy,
you will be able to create a Kōwhai
conversation chart - personal profile.
Kōwhai Companions will tautoko patients
who experience memory and thinking problems such as delirium, those
with dementia, or patients who would just benefit from someone sitting with
them kanohi ki te kanohi / face to face.
The programme has been running
at Burwood Hospital
since January 2022 with great success,
- Being a

Kōwhai Companion gives me a purpose and reward beyond what I can adequately describe
and express. I give my time, attention, and care to the patients
I see once a week and in
return I hear stories from the past, see smiles on their faces, share laughs,
learn new life lessons
- this programme has done more for me than anything

else during my hospital stay,
having someone to take me outside gave me something to look forward to
- I felt really

happy knowing that someone could be with Mum in the evenings, she gets very frightened and the staff can - t be there with her all the time, they are lovely people
We are looking
for people who may have two to three
hours available, once a week,
Monday to Friday, times of
the day are flexible, who are willing to commit for at least 6 months. This is purely a companion role you will
not be expected to provide patient cares.
Please attach a CV and a letter

**telling us a little bit about yourself, including**:

- Why

you would like to become
a Kōwhai Companion
- What
you will bring
to the Kōwhai Companion role
- Any
experiences in tautoko
or manaaki