3 minute read
Who is Peke Waihanga?
Peke Waihanga is a specialist healthcare provider that sees over 4400 patients, many of whom need a prosthetic or orthotic device because of type 2 diabetes and vascular disease that has caused amputation.
Peke Waihanga manufactures medical devices, mainly prosthetics and orthotics, for individual patients. It also offers an integrated rehabilitation, coordination of care, and peer support service. It provides these services through six city-based centres that also run regional clinics in other areas of the country.
Peke Waihanga has an Artificial Limb Service, Orthotic Service, and Peer Support Service.
Their specialists include clinical prosthetists, orthotists, device technicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nurses, who all work together as a team to provide a wraparound service to patients along each stage of their journey.
WHAT ARE ORTHOTICS?
Most people know that prosthetics are – often – artificial limbs that replace limbs that have been lost. But what are orthotics?
For those who’ve had leg amputations, a big part of what Peke Waihanga does, alongside prescribing prosthetic devices that support their patients’ mobility, is prescribe orthotic devices that look after the patient’s other leg and make sure there are no further complications.
Peke Waihanga orthotist Derick Adendorff (left) with his colleague, technician Richard Bowns.
The orthotic service provides brace, splint, or other artificial external devices to support the limbs or spine, prevent or assist movement, and prevent deterioration of health and/or disability conditions.
Clinical orthotists at Peke Waihanga, like Derick Adendorff in the Christchurch centre, work alongside the rest of the specialist team and with orthotic patients in prescribing, modifying, and fitting custom medical orthotic devices as well as insoles and footwear.
If you are a patient that has lost a limb and is referred for orthotic care, an appointment would be made for you with a clinical orthotist like Derick. When you arrive at the centre for your appointment, Derick’s job is to assess your needs and prescribe orthotic devices that are going to protect your remaining limb and prevent any further issues.
Whether it’s an entirely custommade casted device or an off-theshelf device, Derick works with you to design the right devices just for you. Derick considers your health needs, as well as your lifestyle, hobbies, and activities, and he prescribes the devices that are going to best support you to carry out your life as you’d like to.
An important part of Derick’s job, along with the rest of the team, is to continuously monitor and review your needs as time goes on. The methods that Derick uses for capturing the shape of your limb and your orthotic device can also come in handy in the future, as the record of that information can be a helpful tool for assessing whether any issues have occurred with your limb over time.
The team works to ensure that any further deterioration is picked up and that any potential warning signs of complication are picked up early so that you can continue living comfortably.
PEER SUPPORT
Alongside its Artificial Limb Service and Orthotic Service, Peke Waihanga has a Peer Support Service. The 81 trained peer support volunteers offer informal pre- or post-amputation support.
Peke Waihanga matches you with volunteers who have ‘been there, done that’ and can relate to others in a similar situation to themselves.
The service can be accessed by anyone at any time, and, especially for those who are awaiting an amputation, it can be a fantastic way – for you and your loved ones and supporters – to discover more about amputee life from someone with lived experience.
