Waipuna Hospice provides specialist palliative care for patients living with a life-limiting illness, and support services for them and their families. Our geographical area covers Waihi Beach to Paengaroa and while our focus is on Hospice at Home, we have an Inpatient Unit for short term admissions and provide Outpatient Services.

You will often hear the term palliative care which means alleviating without curing. Hospice specialises in providing palliative care – symptom control and pain management where cure is no longer an option. We also offer support services to patients and their support networks whether this be family/whanau, friends, neighbours, or staff at rest homes and hospital.

Hospice staff and volunteers care for each person as an individual and take into account the person’s physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual needs. In addition to palliative nursing care and specialist medical support, we provide respite care, practical support such as meal preparation, bereavement support and a chaplaincy service.

  • This year we expect to care for about 1000 patients and provide support services for their families.
  • Last year our nurses made more than 6,550 visits and over 10,500 phone calls to patients in the community.
  • We have 110 staff working in a variety of roles.
  • Around 860 volunteers support all components of our service.
  • Waipuna Hospice is not funded by the government, while some of our services are contracted from the District Health Board. We need to raise $8.3 million in the coming financial year to meet the shortfall in our operating costs. That’s just over $159,500 per week!

Our Code of Conduct sets out the responsibilities and standards of behaviour we aim to uphold.

Our Philosophy

Hospice affirms life.

Hospice exists to provide support and care for people in the last phases of an incurable disease so that they may live as fully and as comfortably as possible.

Hospice recognises dying as a normal process and neither hastens nor postpones death.

Hospice exists in the hope that through appropriate care and promotion of a caring community sensitive to their needs, patients and families may be free to attain a degree of mental and sprirtual preparation for death that is satisfactory to them.

Hospice recognises grief as a normal response to loss. Support to families and caregivers continues into the bereavement period.

Learn more about Hospice NZ here

Board of Trustees
The Board members of Waipuna Hospice Incorporated are responsible for the stewardship and future wellbeing of the organisation.  Our current Board is made up of the following members, representatives of the local business community with a broad range of complementary skills and experience.

  • Deborah Pattullo (Chairperson)
  • Jeremy Rossaak (Deputy Chair)
  • Simon Darmody (Treasurer)
  • Deborah Cameron (Secretary)
  • Kipouaka Pukekura (Iwi Representative)
  • Lavina Good
  • Murray Foreman
  • Susan Lund
  • Skye Duthie
  • Richard Thurlow (Chief Executive Officer)
Nurse undergoing palliative care at Waipuna Hospice