Waitematā DHB Dietetics - Adult Community Services

Public Service, Allied Health, Community, Community Health

Today

North Shore, Takapuna

Open today 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Waitakere Hospital

Open today 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Hibiscus Coast Community Health Centre, 136 Whangaparaoa Road, Red Beach, Auckland

Open today 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Description

What is a dietitian?

Dietitians are registered health professionals who are experts in food and nutrition. They apply scientific knowledge to help improve overall the health and wellbeing of individuals.

Waitematā DHB dietitians are part of a multidisciplinary team and work with adults and children, alongside their family/ whānau/ caregivers, who require nutrition input related to medical and surgical treatments and/ or management of chronic conditions.

What will the Dietitian do?

The dietitian will fully assess a patient’s nutritional needs and make specific recommendations as part of the patient’s treatment plan. The dietitian will work with the patient to achieve their goals and offer nutrition education and follow up care as required.

Adult Community Services

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the community dietitian’s role includes:

Home enteral nutrition monitoring including transition to oral feeding.
Monitoring ‘failure to thrive’ in adults who have unintentional weight loss.
Providing advice and support to people with terminal/ palliative conditions, where that service cannot be provided by other health professionals.
Providing advice and support to patients at nutritional risk who are unable to attend an outpatient clinic because of their medical condition.

Consultations will be condcted in-person at the patients home or via Telehealth such as videoconference call or telephone.

Referral Expectations

Adult Community Services

According to service specifications provided by the funder, referrals to allied health Community Dietitians are taken from:

Self or, with the patient’s permission: - family/whānau GPs, hospital staff, specialists and other health professionals.

Entry Criteria

Patients who require nutritional advice in their own home.
Adults over the age of 16 years.

Referrals are not accepted for the following:

Patients who are capable of attending an outpatient clinic, with the exception of self initiated referrals and patients referred by their GP
ACC clients.
Patients who are at nutritional risk as a result of a mental health disorder with the exception of those who have failure to thrive (see Description section).
Residents living in Residential Homes/ Care Facilities who require ongoing treatment, unless as part of the 2012-13 residential aged care pilot on monitoring of enteral feeding.
Children with a disability who are over 16 and still attend school (seen by Child Development Service)
Where there is access to outpatient services, or if a GP practice can meet a client's needs, referrals should be directed to those services.

Please telephone the Referral Screener for all requests, information and advice:
Phone: (09) 486 8945 ext 43222 (8.00am - 4.30pm; Monday to Friday)
Email: OlderAdultsHomeHealth@Waitematadhb.govt.nz (for referrals)