Taking cochlear implant services into the community

For many of our kiritaki/clients, accessing specialist cochlear implant services can mean travelling long distances to Auckland. Our outreach programme helps bring that care closer to home, with our team regularly travelling to communities across the North Island to provide support in familiar local settings.

This week, audiologists Latasi Koro and Nathan Lowe and Speech Language Therapist Janine Smith have been on the road with the Hearing House van and car, taking outreach services to Kaitaia and Whangārei. These regional visits give our team the opportunity to provide specialist support closer to where kiritaki and whānau live, while connecting with local services and communities along the way.

In September, Nathan and audiologist Renee Orams travelled to Taupō to provide outreach services at Taupō Hospital. The team was kindly provided with space by local Community Health workers, who also accommodated our Hearing House van for the day. Having a local base allows our team to provide specialist support closer to where kiritaki live, reducing the need to travel to Auckland.

Outreach has also taken our team across the Bay of Plenty in July. In Rotorua, Speech Language Therapists Tash Shallita and Renique Williams connected local kiritaki and provide speech language therapy support closer to home.

In August, Renique and audiologist Bri Williams connected with kiritaki at Pāpāmoa Sports Centre and in Whakatāne, including at a local campground, while audiologist Caroline Selvaratnam visited Kia Roha Pāpāmoa.

These visits are part of the flexible outreach service provided through our Hearing House van, which allows our team to take specialist cochlear implant services into the communities where people live, learn, work and connect. Depending on the needs of our kiritaki, outreach can take place in early childhood settings, schools, workplaces, community spaces or homes.

For tamariki, rangatahi and adults, being able to access care closer to home can make it easier to stay connected with the support they need. It also gives our team the opportunity to work alongside local services and build connections within the communities we visit.

Want to see what outreach can look like on the road? Take a look at this video from one of our previous visits to Keri Keri, which gives a glimpse into how our team takes specialist services into the community.