SNN_December 2022 Issue_web low res

NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 24
—Danny Tixier
The reality is it was a huge
wake up call, and reality
check, but I’ve learnt to adjust.
meetings, help them with their shopping, deal with
situations of abuse. We’ve been in court and hospitals.”
While the volume and demand continue to increase at the
Creative Centre, the funding is the same as it was over 20
years ago, says Danny.
It wasn't until my friend first told me that the Creative
Centre provided services and support to people living
with disabilities in the Cook Islands that I realised I
hadn't seen a single person in a wheelchair since I arrived
in Rarotonga during my time there, nor anyone using
crutches, mobility scooters, or any other mobility aids.
Without those visible reminders I had naively thought the
rates of disability were much lower in the small Pacific
nation, but Danny quickly corrects me on that fact.
According to the 2016 census, there are 2900 people living
in the Cook Islands with disabilities, a number which is
“huge” comparable to its population of around 17,000, he
adds. “Although we have our numbers [at the centre], we
know this means there are a lot out there who are not
coming in.”
Danny surmises that this could be due to stigma and
shame, preventing people from seeking help. He describes
the traditional beliefs that still prevail in some families,
where a disability is seen as a “curse”.
Other barriers include access, where some will have no
means of transport or are unable to catch the bus on their
own to get them to the Creative Centre.
With an ageing population, the elderly, who may also
benefit from the Creative Centre’s wrap-around services,
are another group who struggle with access, due to
decreasing mobility, and cognitive decline caused by
conditions like dementia.
Loneliness is a big problem, with the lack of social
interaction having huge impact on the elderly especially.
The Cook Islands doesn’t have rest homes or retirement
villages, and times are changing, says Danny, with
increasing costs of living pushing people to work more
and be at home less. “This means the mamas are left at
home alone with dementia and so their quality of life and
life expectancy drops.”
He’s experienced a huge lesson in his role and that is, that
as one person, backed with a small team, they can’t be
everywhere at once. The flipside to that coin is seeing the
repercussions when the community’s most vulnerable
aren’t monitored, whether by family or health service.
“The results are fatal… there are no safety nets here.”
SUPPORT: “Lots of clients rely on us for many things, including
for their mental, physical and social wellbeing.” Danny Tixier.
The need to maintain constant support was paramount
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Creative Centre
never closed, working around the clock to keep its
services running for its clients.
He says health services for the 2900 Cook Islanders with
disabilities would benefit from being centralised into a
national service, all under one roof, with shared resources
and pool of funding to make it more sustainable.
With regard to the challenges facing healthcare services
in the Cook Islands, especially NGOs like the Creative
Cente, Danny says there needs to be further investment
across the whole health system, with the aim of making
working in the Cook Islands a more appealing prospect.
“It’s getting people to come back home to take the leap
and work here—it’s really hard, despite the weather and
the beaches.” A lot could be done to make this more
appealing, he adds, saying better wages, better
professional support and care, as well as better
opportunities to train and progress would be a start.
“We’re not the highest paid people—it takes a certain type
of person to make that jump.” But Danny is certainly that
type of person. On the day of our interview (27 June), it is
exactly three years that he made the move to Rarotonga
with his family. Health care hadn’t always been his
thing—he had spent the majority of the 1990s and 2000s,
running nightclubs across New Zealand and Australia.
But after discovering his passion for helping people, he
returned to New Zealand, where he ran an intensive care
support service for older people. He took a pay cut to do
so, but he was just grateful he was able to give back to his
community.
The Creative Centre saw him take an even bigger pay cut.
“I have to work twice as hard here. I went from having a
human resources team, nurses, lawyers, to here, where I
am everything.
“The reality is it was a huge wake up call, and reality
check, but I’ve learnt to adjust. I’ve enjoyed it and it’s been
hugely rewarding.”