Auckland is currently under Alert Level-4 COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. As a result, Mercy Hospice does have several key changes to ensure the safety of our patients, families, staff and volunteers. Please take a moment to read our updates by clicking the buttons below.

Auckland moved back into Alert Level 4 lockdown at 11.59pm on Tuesday 17 August and Mercy Hospice wishes to put your mind at rest that throughout the Covid-19 pandemic our team continues to care 24/7 for our patients and families whether via the Inpatient Unit (IPU) in Ponsonby or through the Community Care service.

The Mercy team have shown their resilience and their ability to work differently to provide excellent care in this extremely stressful, changing Covid-19 environment. We were successful when the virus first hit and we will be successful again.

However, as a result of the Alert Level 4 restrictions, Mercy Hospice has had to meet some challenges to ensure the safety of our patients, families, staff and volunteers. Please note we are asking COVID-19 screening questions when accessing our building at College Hill and if our community team are to visit people in their homes. Sadly, those with potential COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed on site or be able to be visited by our community team until the person has tested negative for COVID-19.

Please take a moment to read on to find out more or if you have specific enquiries feel free to contact us at mercyhospice.org.nz/contact-us/.

Thank you again for your understanding during this difficult time.

The IPU remains open as it did during the last Level 4 lockdown with visitor restrictions now in place. We can safely accommodate one support person or family member in our IPU with each patient. That person must stay with their loved one and cannot come and go from our site, and cannot switch with another family member. We sadly cannot allow additional visitors at this time. However, we have ensured during a patient’s final hours we can provide access for up to a total of three visitors per patient to be with their loved ones in the patient room.

The provision of patient assessment and care will be by phone or video contact, with in-person home visits when essential.

At Level 4 Mercy Social Workers and Counsellors will be available by phone or video contact, with in-person consultations when essential. Physiotherapy and Lymphoedema in-person services will not continue at Level 4. Similarly, the Manaaki programme will not be available on site but contact via phone, or on-line would be possible.

Mercy Hospice stores are closed at Alert Level 4. They will reopen once level restrictions are lifted to Alert Level 2. We are incredibly thankful for all our volunteers and staff who have worked so hard during these

testing times and we look forward to re-opening our retail stores when it is safe to do so. In the meantime we ask those wishing to drop goods off to please wait until the level restrictions are lifted when you can safely leave items. Thank you so very much!

Mercy Hospice would not be able to provide the level of service that they do without our wonderful 540 volunteers.  However, during this time we must suspend the volunteer service, due to our Hospice Shops being closed and to keep both our patient services volunteers safe.  We are still accepting volunteer applications for when the service resumes https://www.mercyhospice.org.nz/supportmercy/volunteer

Sadly, all scheduled events during Alert Level 4 are unable to go ahead.

At this stage, the Mercy Hospice Fashion Show on Sunday 29th August has been postponed with new date to be confirmed.

’10 – a Celebration of Tastes’ has been rescheduled for Sunday 28 November

Mercy Hospice currently cares for 300 patients at any one time in your community and we could not do it without you. Thank you so much for everything you do, because every gift you donate, every hour you volunteer, every event you attend, every person who remembers us, makes a difference.