Southern View: May 10, 2016

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12 Tuesday May 10 2016 SOUTHERN VIEW The power of community Orion is privileged to have been associated with Community Energy Action (CEA) for more than twenty years. CEA is a charitable trust that provides insulation and energy advice services to the most vulnerable in our community with the overriding objective of creating warmer, healthier and more energy efficient homes. Results of the Healthy Homes Project, a recent study undertaken by the Canterbury District Health Board and CEA, shows a direct correlation between insulated homes and a reduction in hospital bed days by up to 30%. Working in a collaborative partnership with CEA has enabled a great deal to be achieved where it is most needed. oriongroup.co.nz
SOUTHERN VIEW Tuesday May 10 2016 13 Many benefits from insulating homes HEALTHY: A workman installing insulation under the floor of a Canterbury home. A successful partnership between community, health and commercial organisations has helped save Canterbury DHB nearly $1m, by providing insulation and/or heating to high health needs patients. As well as reducing hospital costs, it has also assisted in ensuring people can remain in their own homes. In 2011, a Healthy Homes programme was created between the Canterbury DHB and the three Canterbury primary health care organisations, Community Energy Action, Environment Canterbury and the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority. Orion and MainPower also contributed funding into this programme. The programme was developed to keep people in their own homes and communities rather than using hospital services. This recognised Canterbury’s compromised housing stock following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The Canterbury DHB and partnering organisations understood the potential benefits for frequent users of the health system of living in warm and dry homes, including improved physical and mental health. The programme initially focused on people who had been in the Christchurch Hospital at least twice within a year prior to the programme starting (defined as being the highest-needs patients). In July 2013, the programme was extended to include general practice patients, for example families with children under 17 years of age identified as being at risk and parents with newborn babies. The programme ran from 2011 to late 2014 and the whole programme provided over 1500 insulation installations and 450 heating appliances. Partnerships amongst the organisations meant many Healthy Homes’ clients were referred to other organisations and services, as additional needs were identified. A qualitative report was completed by Pegasus Health in June 2015 on the whole programme. Canterbury DHB invested $1.7m over 2.5 years between 2011 and 2014, covering 22 per cent of the total programme costs. Around half of the $1.7m invested went towards intervention costs for the 900 highest-needs patients, as defined above. The remaining partnering organisations covered the balance of the total costs. Of those 900 highest-need patients, a significant number of them were aged over 65. There was an approximately 60 per cent/40 per cent split between home owners and tenants. After reviewing the health data, comparing the year prior to the interventions with the year following, the findings showed a 29.2 per cent reduction in hospital bed days of those 900 patients. This equates to a reduction of five bed days per annum, a cost saving to the Canterbury DHB of nearly $1m. “This means the programme was extremely successful for the community and all involved including the Canterbury DHB,” says Caroline Shone, chief executive of CEA. “Whilst the cost for insulation and heating is a one-off, the benefits last for years. I’m sure for the Canterbury DHB the return on investment can be spent on other health needs. This programme was a first for CEA and the other organisations involved, I am really happy that we have helped so many people working in partnership with Government, private and public sector organisations.” Greg Hamilton from the Canterbury DHB said he was “delighted with the results.” David Meates, CEO of Canterbury DHB said: “This is just brilliant to see the hard evidence being brought to life.” The above analysis only takes into account one of a number of benefits (hospitalisation) which result from improving a home’s insulation. There are other considerable benefits to this programme including: Hospital benefits after the first 12 months – a single intervention has a 40-year life span taking into account the life of the insulation; benefits to partners, children and others living in the same dwelling; benefits to future occupants; reduction in other primary and community services required for intensive post-discharge rehabilitation; reduction in absenteeism from work/school for all home occupants due to improved overall health; people living in their own homes with better wellbeing and feeling safer; and empowerment through improved physical health, mental health and/ or an improved general state of mind/well-being; establishment of other successful working relationships with a range of organisations, with a focus to assist vulnerable families. To date, EECA has provided approximately $450m worth of subsidies for insulation nationwide through their programmes, including Warm Up New Zealand. The Healthy Home Programme analysis shows the need to continue with programmes such as these, particularly when EECA and CEA through their own surveys, have identified that there are still over 30,000 low income family homes in Canterbury alone, with inadequate or no insulation. There have been other relevant New Zealand studies and discussions over the years around the need to improve housing quality and the associated health benefits. THE HOME OF GOOD BAKING DAILY BREAD White, Wheatmeal, Grain NO LIMIT! ONLY 99 C EA GINGER SLICE ONLY $ 3 49 EA FAMILY PACK BISCUITS Chocolate Chip, Hokey Pokey, Kiwi Delight, Oat & Raisin, Peanut, Shortbread, Super Choc Chip. ONLY $ 4 99 EA HAMBURGER BUNS 6pk ONLY $ 1 99 EA MILK Dairy Dale 2L varieties. $ 5 98 2 FOR or $3.19 each STEAK/CHEESE & STEAK/VEGE FAMILY PIE $ 5 99 EA Promotional pricing available while stocks last from 09/05/16 to 15/05/16. Images are serving suggestions only. 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