PHC Wānaka

12/05/2026

Today, on International Nurses Day, I wanted to pause and honour the nurses who quietly hold so much of the world together.
You walk into homes and hospitals carrying not just clinical skill, but calmness, courage, compassion, and humanity.
You sit beside fear, grief, pain, uncertainty, and manage to bring comfort.
You advocate fiercely, love deeply, and continue showing up even on the hardest days.
Over recent weeks my day has started by reading the nurses’ reports documenting the night of care before. Hour by hour, they wrote of every gentle repositioning, every reassuring word, every medication given with tenderness, every quiet observation through the night. Reading those notes felt sacred to me. A story of human care unfolding in real time.
The depth of presence, compassion, attentiveness, and dignity shown in those moments is something words can never fully capture.
There is something profoundly poetic about witnessing nurses carry another human being safely and lovingly through their final journey. It is beautiful beyond description.
This tribute is for the nurses in my life who have held hands through final breaths, travelled alongside people through impossible journeys, and reminded others they are never alone.
Nursing is not just a profession.
It is presence.
It is resilience.
It is heart work.
To every nurse in our PHC whānau and across the world, thank you for the emotional weight you carry, the gentleness you bring, and the difference you make every single day.
You may never fully realise how many lives you have changed simply by caring.
Happy International Nurses Day 🤍
A special thank you to the nurses who have impacted my life: Penny Fisher, Rosie Burridge, Kim Taylor, Stella Keown and Victoria Schutte. I am honoured to have worked with you all.
Sarah Holmes
PHC owner

04/05/2026

Over the years I have heard comments from clients here in Wānaka that have never sat right with me.
“I can’t do that… my carer wouldn’t like it.”
“I had to wait in my chair for four hours to have my fire lit and a shower.”
“I don’t know if care will come today or what time.”
“I don’t feel safe with the people coming into my home"
"I feel pressured to move out of my home"
This is exactly why Personal Home Care works hard to provide QUALITY CARE.
Quality Care doesn't take away your independence, it protects it.
Quality Care doesn't leave you waiting, it brings certainty.
Quality Care doesn't make you feel unsafe, it is reassuring.
It’s about dignity.
It’s about consistency.
It’s about knowing who is coming, when they are coming, and feeling comfortable when they arrive.
At PHC, we believe Quality Care should fit around your life, not the other way around.
PHC is striving for a higher standard in normal Care. We are aiming to provide Quality Care.
We are committed to improving:
Greater reliability: safe familiar faces in your home
Clear communication: You can know when and who is coming
Accountability: Supportive management who are local
Listening: Your choices determine your Care
This isn’t a one time promise. It’s an ongoing standard we hold ourselves to and continue to provide each day.
Because staying in your own home should feel safe, supported, and is completely your choice.

22/04/2026

Some journeys will stay with me forever. 💛
Right now I have the privilege of travelling with a very special client who has faced more challenges than most and kept going with a strength and determination that truly humbled us.
Over time, care became so much more than tasks and routines. It became connection, trust, and shared moments, the kind that reminded us exactly why we do what we do.
To honour her journey and say goodbye, I have created something a little different…
A song, and a video, capturing the highs, the hurdles, and everything in between. From care moments, to travelling together across the world as she stepped into her next chapter here in Mexico 🇲🇽
This isn’t just a story about overcoming adversity.
It’s a story about what can happen when the right support, the right people, and the right belief come together.
At PHC, we don’t just provide care, we stand beside people as they rebuild, rediscover, and redefine what’s possible. Even if our link in the journey is small, we care big.
We are so proud to have been part of this journey. And even prouder to see her now, living her next chapter with courage and independence.
Have a watch, this one means a lot to us.
This is for you Susan and Bernard❤️

19/03/2026

We recently had the privilege of supporting a lovely couple through their ACC recovery journey🤍
Working alongside ACC and the wider health system, our role was to provide short-term support while also helping guide them toward accessing their fully funded Te Whatu Ora (DHB) services for ongoing care.
We pride ourselves on collaborating closely and navigating the health network in a way that is seamless, respectful, and centred around each person’s needs.
These short-term supports are incredibly rewarding for our team. Being able to step in during a vulnerable time, provide stability, and then help transition care appropriately is what community care is all about. We love it!
We are so grateful to have received such kind feedback from this couple, who shared their appreciation for the wonderful team of carers who supported them.
Wishing them both all the very best in their continued recovery.
Caring for them was our pleasure.

10/03/2026

To the caregivers of Aotearoa,
(especially our own here in Wānaka and at PHC)
Thank you for the quiet work you do every day. The work that rarely makes headlines, but changes lives in ways that matter deeply.
Thank you for the patience you bring into people’s homes.
For the kindness you offer when someone feels vulnerable.
For the calm reassurance you provide when families are worried.
I understand that caregiving is not easy work.
It asks for compassion, resilience, and heart.
I see you show up each day to give that with generosity and grace.
You sit, you listen, you support. Often it’s the small moments that mean the most.
Across our country there are thousands of caregivers quietly helping people stay safe, independent, and cared for. That work is appreciated.
Our service is owned by a carer and managed by carers. When I travel, the job title I put on my paperwork is ‘caregiver’. That is the job I am most proud of and that is who I am.
From myself as director, through to our admin and our nurse team, every member of our team genuinely cares about our community and our people.
Everyone who does this work deserves to feel valued, supported, and part of a team that understands the responsibility and privilege of caring for others. You deserve support.
So today I say thank you to you all. Your work makes a difference.
And if you are a caregiver looking for a team that values the work you do, we would love to meet you here, at home, in Wānaka.
We have a beautiful community, a kind team, and meaningful work.
Remember, those who care for others should be cared for too. Look after yourself. Selfcare before workcare.
Stay safe out there,
Nga mihi nui,
Sarah

04/02/2026

Such a real need for our community. ❤️

A Wānaka man caring for his 65-year-old wife, who has dementia, has called on the government to explain what it plans to do about the "desperate...

23/12/2025

This year has been filled to the brim with action for us at PHC.
My main focus this year was to help our quality care become more accessible to everyone. We worked really hard to achieve this.
In 2025 we gave it our best and:
We are now certified with Nga Paraewa Health and Disabilty service standards. This was a big effort and took almost 8 months to achieve.
This means we can also work with ACC. We have the Maximising Independence contract and the Nursing contract for our area which we will action next year.
We are still pinching ourselves that all this happened this year. After almost 4 years of managing PHC in our special community I still feel privileged to be doing this work. I am enthusiastic about what we can achieve together next year. For now, let’s kick back and celebrate together.
Merry Christmas everyone,
Sarah Holmes
I had some fun with AI on this video. For your enjoyment.

01/04/2025

Before PHC, I tested my sneakers on the mountain trails. Running long and slow, with lots of snacking, (salted roast kumara bites😋) and soaking in quick summit highs was the best.
Then I fell into CARING. The short burst summit buzz was replaced by daily serotonin highs from helping people. I never looked back.
Two years in, managing PHC, I started seeing gaps:
*Too many can’t afford private care
*DHB services are sometimes stretched
*Not enough advocacy for vulnerable people
*People waiting weeks after returning from hospital to receive ACC care
So, we got to work.
We have reshaped our PHC service to meet ACC guidelines and last year we applied for the Maximising Independence ACC contract—we got it 🙌
Now we’re on the path to full certification so we can start the contract and move towards supporting all government agencies.🥳

Our goal of ‘safety for all older people living at home’ is a very long run to attempt. But with a steady pace (and lots of good snacks 😄), we believe we can bring genuine care and safety to our Upper Clutha Community.
I’ll keep you posted as we climb this next mountain together⛰️ we hope this can support the great work Health Action Wānaka are doing 👌
Sarah

19/05/2024

What amazing results speaking up can bring.💕
Please speak up and share your story if you are stuck or living at home unsafe and unable to receive you DHB funded care due to staffing issues.
Talking gets support! .
We are here for you community 🥳💕🥳

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora has an opportunity right now to fund a ‘stop-gap’ solution to our community’s lack of access to extended after-hours medical care. The proposal would provide a clinical nurse specialist (an experienced and skilled senior clinician) on-site overnight with remote support from a senior doctor based at Dunstan Hospital. People could be assessed by the clinical nurse specialist and receive either overnight observation and monitoring locally, or be referred via ambulance to Dunstan Hospital if needed. The service would be a 'stop gap' while work continues to fund and deliver a sustainable after-hours service that is comparable to other similarly sized towns in New Zealand.

Representatives of Central Otago Health Services Limited (COHSL), a community-owned, not-for-profit organisation that provides health services out of Dunstan Hospital, have spent two years working on this proposal, so it’s important we let decision-makers know that we need this service as soon as possible. To express your support for the proposal, please email Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora at: feedback@southerndhb.govt.nz Wanaka App Wānaka Sun Crux Otago Daily Times Stuff RNZ

12/05/2024

Thanks to the generosity of our Mothers CARE 🥰
We start our lives with kindness.
Let’s make sure KIND CARE is what they get when they need it most.
Looking after our elderly takes a community.💕
Let’s look out for all our Mamas out there.
Happy Mother’s Day Wānaka 💛