Tess Moeke Maxwell, University of Auckland
Dr Amohia Boulton
This three-year, HRC-funded study is investigating the traditional end-of-life Māori care customs that whānau draw on to strengthen their end-of-life caregiving activities and support palliative care service provision. The research is hosted by the Te Ārai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group at the University of Auckland, where Principal Investigator Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou) is based. She is supported by Te Ārai’s Kaumatua Rōpū, led by Rawiri Wharemate (Ngātiwai, Ngāti Moerewa, Ngā Puhi). The research team brought together for the study include academics from the University of Auckland such as Professors Linda Nikora and Merryn Gott, Dr Amohia Boulton from Whakauae, health professionals such as Dr Keri Ratima, representatives from hospice, as well as other research assistants and students.
The research seeks to identify the barriers and facilitators Māori experience in using traditional care customs within different care settings (home, hospice, hospital and aged residential care). A number of resources will be developed to share information about care customs with diverse Māori whānau, their communities and the palliative care sector. Planned resources include digital stories; an online educational resource; information on cultural care customs; helpful palliative care information; as well as peer reviewed articles.
Over 60 stories from whānau around Aotearoa were collected as part of this research project. Many of these have been made into a digital resource that can be accessed from a new website “Te Ipu Aronui”; an output from the Te Pae Herenga project. This online educational resource and website went live in late March with community launches in Hastings, Pōrangahau, Wellington and Whanganui. On the 30 March 2021, the Whanganui launch of the website was held. Hosted by Whanganui Hospice, the day began with a mihi whakatau to members of the research team, their kaumatua, clinicians, community researchers and members of the public. This was led by local Rongoā practitioner, Marilyn Vreede and her husband Marty. Both Marilyn and another local Rongoā practitioner, Mary Bennett, have contributed their stories as part of the research for inclusion on the website here.
During the event, Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell and Dr Merryn Gott gave an overview of the project and took us through a tour of the new website. In addition, we were treated to a glimpse of some of the 22 stories and given handy hints about navigating other website tabs.
Tess thanked members of her team: the Te Ārai Kahui kaumatua (Matua Joe, Whaea Whio, Matua Rawiri and Matua Aaron), senior academics and research assistants for traveling and supporting the launches in the regions.
This is an excellent resource that will be valuable for family caregivers and health professionals alike and we encourage people to take a look at the website here.
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