Beneficiaries of the Pae Herenga study

"Each whānau has their own histories, stories and memories (colonisation, land loss and language loss, for example), life experiences, family compositions and living circumstances. "

(Māori families who provide end of life care)

Over the next thirty years, New Zealand’s baby boomers will be reaching old age and there will be a sharp increase in older deaths. The whānau of these older kaumātua will be called upon to carry out end of life care in line with the wishes of their kaumātua (older men and women).

The Pae Herenga study gathered information (stories) from whānau manaaki to share with Māori families who are in need of this helpful information. We recognise that each whānau will have their own tikanga (customs) that they will draw from and they will have their own way of doing things. We recognise that one size does not fit all and that one of the strengths of being Māori is our diversity and our adaptability.

Our aim is to support whānau who are new to caregiving, and to those who may have lost connection with their Māori caregiving practices. We do this through sharing the end of life care stories gifted by whānau manaaki, rongoā practitioners, Māori health professionals and tohunga/matakite (spiritual practitioners) who took part in the Pae Herenga study. We hope whānau who are new to caring for an older person feel inspired and uplifted to carry out this essential and important end of life care work. More than 20 digital stories are avaiable on this website.

This study supports health, palliative and social care professionals

In New Zealand Palliative care is defined as:

"... the care of people who are dying from active, progressive diseases or other conditions that are not responsive to curative treatment. Palliative care embraces the physical, social, emotional and spiritual elements of wellbeing–tinana, whanau, hinengaro and wairua – and enhances a person’s quality of life while they are dying. Palliative care also supports the bereaved family/whanau." (Ministry of Health (2002). Palliative Care Strategy. Ministry of Health, Wellington.)

Hospice New Zealand has supported the Pae Herenga study from the start. New Zealand hospices, as well as health care, palliative care and social care professionals are also beneficiaries of the study. We hope that hospice health professionals will find this information useful to support Māori whānau who use their services. Hospice provides specialist palliative care (medical, psychological and social care for people with a life limiting illness and their whānau and families) and this is freely available in New Zealand for people who meet the criteria. Palliative care can help to improve the quality of life for kaumātua who are ill and dying and it can support kaumātua who have more than one health concern, or complex health issues.