A Day in the Life of the Housekeeping Team
Each day, our Housekeeping team, alongside their volunteers, play a vital yet often unseen role at Tōtara Hospice. They ensure every space is clean, safe, welcoming and cared for, creating an environment where patients and whānau can focus on what matters most: being together.
Their work goes well beyond cleaning. They are quiet guardians of comfort and dignity, bringing calm to moments that can be emotional or overwhelming. Every tidy room, fresh sheet and well-kept shared space helps families feel supported during some of life’s most significant moments.
6:00am – Starting the Day
The team begins early, loading the Hospice’s commercial washing machines and dryers with the first of many loads of linen. Laundry is a constant rhythm throughout the day. Sheets, towels, and personal items all require ongoing attention.
With the machines running, trolleys are stocked and supplies prepared.
First stop: the family kitchenette, where the team tidies surfaces and switches on the urn. This ensures it is ready for the first whānau member in need of a quiet morning tea after a long night.
Next: the main kitchen, the hub of daily food preparation. Before kitchen staff arrive at 7am, floors are swept and mopped to ensure a fresh, safe workspace for the team who nourish patients and visitors each day.
7:00am – Staff Areas and Ongoing Laundry
The team then moves throughout key areas of the Hospice, including the Palliative Outcomes Initiative space, Public areas of the In-patient Unit, Staffroom, Community Nurses’ space, and Reception.
They remove rubbish and recycling, refresh supplies and clean staff areas and bathrooms.
Around this time, our resident cat Charlie usually appears for breakfast. This small moment of routine and comfort is something many staff enjoy.
Meanwhile, the steady cycle of washing, drying, folding, ironing and restocking linen cupboards continues throughout the day.
10:30am – 2:00pm – In-patient Unit and Deep Cleans
The In-patient Unit (IPU) has twelve rooms, and many whānau stay with loved ones throughout their time here. Some families are large, and on busy weekends more than eighty visitors may come through our doors.
Working in the IPU allows housekeepers to connect with whānau. Sandy explains: “To help families feel safe and cared for, I make up a chart with patient names so I can greet them when entering the room. I introduce myself and explain what I will be doing.”
Housekeepers often become familiar and reassuring faces. A clean, comfortable room offers calm and dignity when families are treasuring precious moments together.
Many families remain with us for weeks or months, and the Housekeeping team sees it as a privilege to witness the love, devotion and care shared in these spaces.
When a patient dies and is taken into the care of the funeral home, Antony, our Spiritual Care Liaison, leads a moment of reflection to honour the life lived in that room. The Housekeeping team then completes a thorough deep clean, preparing the space with respect and care for the next whānau who will call it home.
“People think hospice is a sad place but there is a wonderful calming atmosphere in IPU and a team spirit, which is felt by the patients, families and staff.”
— Sandy, Housekeeper
The Heart of the Hospice
Every day, the Housekeeping team embodies Tōtara Hospice’s values of respect, compassion, dignity and service.
Their work happens quietly, often behind the scenes, but its impact is felt everywhere. They help create the safe, calm, welcoming environment that surrounds every patient, whānau member, volunteer and staff member.
They are the threads that hold the Hospice together, ensuring every person who enters feels cared for, supported and at home
