Inside the homes of the at-risk

Community support worker Kerry Mannex leaves her bubble every day.

The mother of two adult children has been visiting up to 16 elderly and disabled Christchurch clients a day throughout lockdown.

What began as a part-time job that fitted in with raising young children has turned into a very fulltime career Mannex says.

‘‘I just fell into it, really. I just have a passion for helping people I think.’’

She is one of about 22,000 home support workers continuing these essential services during the Government’s lockdown. is celebrating coronavirus champions such as Mannex, who have kept New Zealand going through the Covid-19 outbreak.

Employed by Nurse Maude, Mannex helps her clients with the basics of living – personal hygiene, cleaning, cooking, and taking medications to keep well.

‘‘We might go to shower somebody and while we’re there we do some meal prep and we might do their medications, give them breakfast, put washing on . . . that sort of thing.’’

But she is also a friendly, familiar face for those facing long days on their own. Mannex said now more than ever her clients are happy to see her. ‘‘At the moment . . . they’re not even seeing their families. So they are definitely looking forward to having a chat and seeing somebody, just some people contact.’’

Mornings are generally spent giving showers, making sure clients have their medications and helping put on compression stockings.

‘‘Some may be quite independent with their showering and may be at high risk of falls so that’s when we’re in there to supervise, really. Other people need to be washed head to toe so we’re doing the whole bit.’’

For some very frail clients Mannex sits with them while they have a meal

– or they might not eat.

Most clients are over 70, with many in their 80s and 90s. Some younger clients have conditions such as spina bifida or cerebal palsy.

Mannex admits she was a bit nervous about getting and spreading coronavirus when cases began to increase in New Zealand.

But under the level four alert, she feels comfortable she and her clients are safe. She washes her hands regularly and checks clients are well before entering.

Mannex was not wearing a mask on her visits, which she said was in line with Ministry of Health advice.

‘‘Some people have been wearing them but the guideline is that unless there is infection that we don’t necessarily need to wear a mask.’’

Her clients had taken the lockdown well and were even getting tired of talking about coronavirus, Mannex said.

‘‘A lot of these people, they’ve had so much life experience and I just think as people get older the majority of us we just learn to take things in our stride.’’

Being one of the few essential workers to continue their usual jobs while the country battles a pandemic, felt a bit odd but also came with a silver lining – less traffic.

‘‘It does feel a bit empty out there, sort of like a public holiday every day,’’ she says.

‘‘It’s been lovely to not have as much traffic on the roads I must admit, sometimes our travel times can be horrendous.’’