Healthy living

Here Toitū is an empowering service that helps you recognise your potential to achieve your goals and aspirations by helping you find and maintain meaningful work, study or volunteer experience, improving your wellbeing and whānaungatanga. 

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Immunisation helps protect you and your family/whānau against many vaccine preventable diseases. Children receive a series of free vaccines, usually at their general practice. It is very important that vaccines are given at the correct time to protect people who are most vulnerable to illness, especially children and older people. All children in NZ are eligible for the funded National Schedule vaccines. Your general practice team will send a reminder when you or your child are due for immunisation. 

Influenza or flu is a major threat to health, because it can spread rapidly through families and communities. Many won’t feel sick at all, but can still pass the flu virus onto others. The influenza vaccine is free for all pregnant women, anyone from six months old with certain medical conditions, and anyone aged 65 years or over. Ask your Practice Nurse or General Practitioner (GP) if you are eligible. 

View Kids Health: Immunisation (kidshealth.org.nz) for more information View Immune Advisory Centre (immune.org.nz) for more information

The acute demand service provides short-term assessments, treatment and support to patients who may have been otherwise admitted to or have been recently discharged from hospital. Patients are referred by either their GP or the hospital. 

A team of nurses can provide treatment, such as administering IV (intravenous) antibiotics or assessing your medical condition. 

Contact: Ask your nurse before you leave hospital or check with your GP team. 

A free group lifestyle education and cooking programme. During the eight session programme, you learn how small changes in the way you live can add up to a big change in your health. 

The first three weeks focus on lifestyle changes, with kai to support each session. This is followed by five weeks of cooking – putting the ideas into action. All eight sessions end with sharing kai together. 

For more information visit the Puāwai – Kai website (puawai.org.nz)

People with respiratory disease can get spirometry (a test to measure lung capacity), sleep assessments, education and pulmonary rehabilitation. This is run by approved general practitioners or by mobile respiratory nurses. 

Pulmonary rehabilitation courses are held in various locations in the community. The courses include exercise, education and support to help people learn to breathe and function at their highest possible level. 

Patients with Asthma and other breathing problems such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, cystic fibrosis and sleep apnoea are provided with information and support from their general practice team. 

For information on the Canterbury Better Breathing programme please visit the HealthInfo website.

Support is available for patients who have diabetes or who are at risk of getting diabetes. Talk to your general practice team about how they can help you manage your diabetes or prevent it.

Foot care is an important part of managing health for people with diabetes. People at risk of developing foot problems due to their diabetes may get up to four free podiatrist visits a year, depending on their condition.

Talk to your doctor or nurse about the best option for support to becoming smoke free and vape free.

Te Hā - Waitaha Smokefree Support provides a free quit smoking programme. Quit Coaches work alongside you, with your whānau or family, or even in groups in your workplace or community. Nicotine patches, lozenges or gum are provided free of charge.

Pregnant women receive a voucher for attending an initial appointment with a Quit Coach. Further incentives are given for pregnant women who become Smokefree.

Call Te Hā - Waitaha on 0800 425 700 Send an email to Te Hā - Waitaha at smokefree@cdhb.health.nz

For more information or to register visit the  Te Hā - Waitaha website (tehawaitaha.nz).

Provide free phone, text, or online advice and support until you are smokefree.

Call Quitline on 0800 778 778 Visit the Quitline website (quit.org.nz)