Tōtara Hospice opens Rangimārie VAD Support Suite
Tōtara Hospice is today opening the Rangimārie Suite, a dedicated space for people accessing services under New Zealand’s End of Life Choice Act 2019.
The suite has been thoughtfully created within the existing hospice environment and includes two interconnected spaces: a dedicated clinical suite and a comfortable family lounge area. It provides a calm, respectful, and homelike setting where patients and whānau can spend meaningful time together at an intensely personal time.
This development forms part of Tōtara Hospice’s wider facilities redevelopment, ensuring its physical environment reflects the needs of patients, whānau, staff, volunteers, and South Auckland communities. The Rangimārie Suite is one example of how the hospice is adapting its spaces to support privacy, dignity, cultural safety, comfort, and compassionate care.
Tōtara Hospice remains the only specialist hospice in Aotearoa New Zealand to provide a fully integrated voluntary assisted dying service onsite. Since the End-of-Life Choice Act came into effect, the organisation has learned much from the individuals and whānau it has had the privilege to support. Their experiences have shaped the way this service is provided, with a focus on dignity, privacy, compassion, and care.
The Rangimārie Suite reflects that learning and gives practical expression to Tōtara Hospice’s philosophy and values — supporting people and whānau with respect, without judgement, and helping make the world a better place for dying people.
Chief Executive Tina McCafferty says the opening is an important milestone in Tōtara Hospice’s ongoing work to respond compassionately, ethically, and practically to the diverse needs, wishes, and choices of people at the end of life.
“Assisted dying is deeply personal, and people hold a range of cultural, spiritual, and ethical views. We respect that. Our responsibility is to ensure every person is treated with dignity, compassion, and professionalism, whatever choices they make”.
“The Rangimārie Suite sits alongside our wider specialist palliative care services, reflecting our commitment to care for the whole person and their whānau without judgement.”
Ms McCafferty says the suite also reflects the hospice’s broader commitment to care spaces that are fit for purpose.
“As part of our wider redevelopment, this suite reflects our commitment to creating spaces that support the way people and whānau experience care, with warmth, privacy, inclusion, and respect. Our buildings matter because the environment in which care is provided can deeply affect how people feel at one of the most significant times in their lives.”
The project has been made possible through the generous support of the End-of-Life Choice Society of New Zealand, whose contribution enabled the completion of the refurbishment and development of the space.
The Society has long advocated for choice, dignity, and information at the end of life. Since the passing of the End-of-Life Choice Act 2019, its work has included engaging constructively with the health sector as services develop in Aotearoa New Zealand, and providing information, support and compassion for terminally ill people considering the lawful assisted dying service. The Society is continuing to advocate for law reform through the End-of-Life Choice Amendment Bill to further support fair, compassionate and equitable access to assisted dying.
Phil Melchior, of the End-of-Life Choice Society of New Zealand, says the Society values the work of Tōtara Hospice and is proud to have partnered on this development.
“Tōtara Hospice has shown thoughtful and compassionate leadership in this area. The Society values the work Tōtara Hospice is doing to support people and whānau with choice, dignity, care, and respect at the end of life’.
“We are proud to have partnered with Tōtara Hospice on the Rangimārie Suite. This work reflects a shared commitment to ensuring people have clear information, safe support, and a respectful environment when considering their end-of-life choices.”
Tōtara Hospice is continuing to evolve its work through partnership, education, and clear information-sharing to support people, whānau, and clinicians to understand the process, responsibilities, and care options associated with assisted dying.
Ms McCafferty says people and whānau need clear information at a time that is often emotional and complex, and clinicians need support to understand their responsibilities and boundaries.
Tōtara Hospice focus remains on ensuring every person is met with dignity and care, and that end-of-life choices, whether for a natural or an assisted death, are supported within a safe, respectful, and values-based environment. An opening and blessing ceremony is being held today to acknowledge those who contributed.
Media Contact
Name: Tina McCafferty, Chief Executive
Email: tina.mccafferty@hospice.co.nz
Phone: 021 565 620
