The Star: April 15, 2021

The Star Thursday April 15 2021
20
NEWS
• From page 19
“Free time fillers would include
making use of the craft room on
the ward – although supplied
were limited due to funding –
doing jigsaws, playing cards or
games with the nurses and other
patients, reading or watching
something,” Nelis recalled.
At 10.15am it was supported
morning snack time.
“This would be the same
time every day you were there,
consisting of a food or drink item
– slice, muffin, half sandwich,
crackers and cheese, banana,
dried fruit and nut mix,” said
Nelis.
“Once again if you failed to eat
all the food in the 10 or 15 minutes
you were given, a nutritional
supplement shake was provided.
“Once per week for some
patients ‘snack exposure” would
happen. A group of older patients,
or those more along in
their recovery, would go out to a
cafe accompanied by one of the
ward’s occupational therapists
and order their morning tea offsite
instead.
“Due to lack of service funding
– this was paid for by the
patient, which was pretty hard
and testing for someone who may
really struggle with food to buy
something fearful for them.”
Then back to school or free
time until lunch.
Nelis said school was “a great
way of providing some routine
and consistency” but if you were
not a student it got “rather hard
to fill the time”.
At 12.30pm it was time for
lunch and post-meal supervision.
“As per breakfast – same rules
apply for those not able to finish
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‘I was told I wouldn’t last much longer if I kept
the meal,” said Nelis.
“For the hour after lunch,
patients are not able to leave the
dining room, and move to the
lounge area to be supervised by
a nurse.
“Post-meals are a difficult time
for a number of eating disorder
patients and when compensatory
behaviours are easy to do – for
example purging, exercising,
self-harm.
“You were not allowed your
phone or an electronic device –
so typically the time was spent
doing jigsaw puzzles, reading,
playing cards with other patients,
or colouring in.”
The afternoon was a regimented
daily routine of free time,
another supervised snack and
visits from family or friends.
For some, a walk was allowed.
“Exercise was limited to
facilitate the weight restoration
process and address any addictive
or compensatory exercise
behaviours,” said Nelis.
Afternoons rolled into dinner,
more free time and the final
snack, same rules, same process,
same watching – of the day
before bed.
But bed was never the end of
the day for C Ward patients.
“You would be checked on
every hour by the night nursing
staff at the very least – anywhere
as frequent as 15 minutes, or on
24-hour watch if you needed the
extra monitoring and supervision,”
Nelis explained.
“It was common if you were
medically unstable or beginning
your stay to have a 3am blood
glucose finger test – if your levels
were too low, they would wake
you up to have a sandwich and
juice and not allow you back to
sleep until your levels were back
in a normal range.
“At the weekends, nothing
much changed except young
patients had no school and leave
could be requested, and family
outings could occur.
AUDITIONS
AUDITIONS
AUDITIONS
CAS’n’OVA Productions are bringing to the THEATRE
Hi De Hi
Based on the 1980 TV series
Auditions are being held 25th, 26th & 27th April
No matter what theatre experience you have, come and join us
To register go to www.casnova.co.nz now!