Mauri Mate; A Māori Palliative Care Framework for the Hospices of Aotearoa has been created by Māori, for Māori, focussed on quality, equity and compassion; a way to improve whānau manaaki. It is the first for Aotearoa and the outcome of a collaboration between Totara Hospice (South Auckland), Mary Potter Hospice (Wellington) and Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (TeORA) (The Māori Medical Practitioners Association).

Tumuaki of Te ORA, Te Oraiti Reedy expressed “we are indebted to, and acknowledge the expertise and commitment of our Māori medical practitioners, health academics and researchers, who contributed so generously to the development of the framework and indeed this publication.  It is our hope that this Taonga will be embraced in the spirit in which it has been gifted to the sector.  Mahia te mahi, hei painga mō te iwi. Manaakitia te iwi, whaangaingia te tangata. Kia mau ki te aroha, me te rangimārie”

Chief Executive of Totara Hospice Tina McCafferty said that “it has been a privilege to have the knowledge and skills of the working group come together in the gift of this work and to have experienced such a rich partnership with Te ORA and Mary Potter”.  A key outcome of working within the framework should be improved access to and experience of Hospice care for Māori whānau and an enriching development of cultural competence in practice for hospice staff, “Implementing the framework is a tangible way for Hospices to demonstrate their commitment to equity, to the spirit of partnership within the Treaty of Waitangi and to ensuring that Hospice is a place of support for Māori” says Ms McCafferty.

Brent Alderton, Chief Executive of Mary Potter Hospice, said that commitment to the framework will ensure good quality and compassionate care in the lead-up to the end-of-life, and culturally appropriate care and grief support for whānau whether they are in the inpatient unit, an aged care facility or at home.   Mauri Mate also lays out a learning and development road map the builds capability across hospices so we have the best people, trained and competent to provide care for Māori,” says Mr Alderton.

The collaboration agrees that the experience that Māori have of Hospice care needs to be positively different and that Mauri Mate provides guidance to achieve this by addressing bicultural practise and health equity.  Both are needed if Hospices are to provide the best support to patients and their whānau at the most tender time towards to the end of life.

You can download the Framework www.hospice.org.nz/mauri-mate