Penny’s Home Care provides a personalised service, specifically tailored to meet your needs and requirements in the Wanaka, Lake Hawea, Albert Town, Luggate, Cromwell and surrounding areas.
Do you require that special care in your own home? Whatever your requirements, just get in touch.
If you require care and/or support in the Queenstown area please visit the Your Saving Grace website.
About Penny's Home Care
Penny believes that everyone is entitled to be treated with respect and dignity and that everyone should be afforded the right to make their own choices and live their life, as they so wish.
Our clients will receive reliable, friendly and supportive care, delivered with integrity, professionalism, warmth, empathy and compassion at all times.
We will encourage you to remain as independent as you can be, in order to remain living safely and contently in the comfort of your own home and surroundings
Our vision is to provide excellent quality physical and emotional support together with practical assistance to people of all ages.
Penny's Home Care Services
Penny's Home Care provides individual personal care in the comfort of your own home. Whatever your needs, Penny's Home Care can provide the quality of care that you require.
General Care Services
This includes assistance with showering, bathing, dressing, undressing, help to get up from bed or return to bed. We will visit you at a time suitable to you to help you with any of the above should you need assistance.
Some people require compression stockings due to a medical condition. These are very difficult to put on by oneself therefore we will visit to apply and remove these stockings daily.
We can visit to ensure your correct medication is taken at the prescribed times and the prescribed dosage.
From time to time people require a registered nurse for professional input and we have RNs who visit if necessary. This can be for general nursing care and or in conjunction with The Otago Community Hospice (see below).
Some people wish to remain in their own homes and we enable that to happen by supplying care for anything up to 24hrs a day. This includes daily hours and “sleepovers “where one of us sleep at your place but “keep one ear open” and help with whatever care is required overnight. We bring a sleeping bag and pillow and leave the room as we found it. Quite often this is for peace of mind as well as overnight assistance.
Please see above however some people just need night care as they have other care during the day. We can supply overnight care as well as day care or 24-hour care or any part there of.
Just because someone may have short term memory loss/dementia it doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to choose to stay at home for as long as you can or wish. We can visit for whatever period required to allow this to occur.
Often after surgery, hospitalization or similar, we visit during the day and or night allowing the client to 'get back on their feet' and recover their confidence. We also help with any exercises that have been prescribed by the physiotherapists. You may find that your insurance policy covers a finite amount of RN care.
This is in conjunction with Otago Community Hospice. We visit either during the day or overnight allowing relatives/full time carers to take a break knowing that their loved one is still being cared for during a very difficult time.
For further information on the Otago Community Hospice, please visit their website by clicking here
Accompanying Services
This includes spending quality time with you and can include many activities from going for a drive, going for a walk or going for a coffee or whatever leisure pursuit is desired. Many times, it’s just a chat and a cuppa.
Often its more difficult to get out to the shops and we can either accompany you or carry out the shopping on your behalf.
We can accompany you into your appointment or just drive you to a medical, physio, dental visit. This can be purely for support/another ear or just for transport purposes.
On occasions some people may want to visit family/friends in another city or even another country and we are able to accompany you on these trips.
Please see companionship above. No matter whether its summer or winter an outing is enjoyable and “it’s just lovely to get out of the house” We often have a picnic or an ice-cream along the way. Winter is a great time to take a flask and sit in the warmth of the car down by one of our beautiful lakes and drink not only a hot drink but also drink in the view.
From time to time people require increased services and assistance from outside agencies, at which time we can assist with negotiating the way through the health system, which at times is not particularly easy. We can assist with referrals to Physiotherapist, Occupational therapists, Needs Assessors/Social Workers.
We have wheelchairs, shower stools and toilet raisers for hire. These will be delivered and fitted as required.
In some cases, people are assessed by the authorities as eligible for “Individualized funding” This means that instead of the funding going to one of the funded local agencies to provide the care, the funding goes directly to the person/family and they can therefore use a different agency. Penny’s Home Care is one of those agencies.
In some cases, the funded agencies and Penny’s Home Care work in partnership to provide care to people in the community. Penny’s Home Care has worked hand in hand with local agencies many times in the past. We also have good working relationships with the Wanaka District Nurses.
Ancillary Services
As you become more frail meals are often one of the activities that become more difficult. We can prepare and cook meals either daily or cook various meals for the freezer, to be used later in the week. If the meals are in the freezer we are then able to visit and heat them up and serve them to the you in the comfort of their own home.
House work is not an easy task and we pride ourselves on visiting to keep the household shipshape. This includes dusting, vacuuming, washing the hard floors. Kitchen and bathrooms all spotlessly cleaned. We also change beds and wash the linen, remake the bed/s and any ironing that is required. Ovens, microwaves, cupboards, drawers and fridges are also on our list.
We can help with your garden as well.
We can assist with your windows also.
Penny's Home Care Team
Penny's Home Care, is based in Wanaka is operated by Penny Fisher.
Our team is made up of experienced, qualified and friendly nurses and carers.
Some of the team
(Left to right) Mandy Kain, Rosie Burridge, Teresa Cotter, Fe Howie, Hazel Milligan, Penny Fisher, Adair Simpkin and Shona Turner
Penny Fisher RN MBA
Penny has managed nursing homes and residential homes in the UK and immediately before returning to New Zealand was the Regional Manager for a large health care provider in Scotland. Prior to establishing Penny's Home Care, Penny worked for the Canterbury District Health Board and was latterly the manager of a private rest home and hospital in Wanaka.
Penny is a Registered General and Obstetric Nurse (Dunedin) and has an MBA (Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland).
Penny’s hobbies include walking, biking, gardening and spending time with her family and friends.
Adair Simpkin
Prior to joining the Penny’s Home Care team, Adair has worked in hospitality, retail, as a community care worker, and more recently as Activities Coordinator at Elmslie House.
Adair has lived in Wanaka for 23 years with husband, Paul and two teenage children. She enjoys getting out and walking in the great outdoor environment that we are so lucky to have on our doorstep.
She was a member of Wanakapella Choir for about 10 years, and in 2017 joined the Wanaka Ukuleles who regularly perform for various local groups and celebrations. Adair enjoys gardening, reading, and creative hobbies when time permits. Her bucket list includes biking the Alps to Ocean, and the Rail Trail (as a warm up!).
Adele Cochran
Adele grew up in Wanaka and brings to Penny’s Home Care experience as a Carer whilst she was living in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining the team, she has been a chef and a secretary locally.
Adele enjoys meeting new people and helping people make the most out of every day.
Di Carbon
Di has been a Community Carer since “migrating” back from Sydney, Australia in 2008, completing Community Support Services Level 3 in 2011.
In Sydney Di was a retail manager for a high-profile clothing company, then ran her own home based childcare facility. This lead on to training in Special Needs Education working within the NSW Education system at preschool and primary school level.
Time spent within the community has given Di the confidence and knowledge to attempt to garden within Wanaka's challenging climate. Her garden brings her much joy as does cooking from her own vege garden and fruit trees.
Di joined the team at Penny's Home Care in July 2015.
Fe Howie
Originally from Castlepoint on the Wairarapa coast, Fe settled in Wanaka 28 years ago after working in Australia for 6 years being a groom for stud cattle, grooming polo ponies and jillarooing.
After working in Australia, Fe then worked in Tennessee and Florida USA as a polo groom with the off season seeing her venturing back to New Zealand to work on the Cardrona Ski Resort as a liftie (which she prefers to call a Mountain Elevation Technician). Fe joined the team of Penny’s Home Care in 2012.
Fe is married to Ross and has a daughter; Cate, who is a very keen horse rider.
Hazel Milligan
Hazel’s passion for Wanaka and her ability to get things done, listening and connecting with people makes her a great fit for Penny’s Home Care.
Hazel is a Mother of three adult children and enjoys spending her spare time walking and cycling around Wanaka. With her appreciation for art, design, sewing and crafts you won’t be surprised to see her exploring what the second-hand stores in the Central Otago area offers.
Mandy Kain
Previously, Mandy worked within the social sector as a Social Worker. After the intensity of the position, she was lead to various jobs prior to joining Penny’s Home Care over 3 years ago.
With her position at Penny’s Home Care, Mandy states that job satisfaction, support and friendship with other caregivers, clients and Penny herself all come at the top of the list.
“The support Penny gives both caregivers and clients alike is outstanding. I just hope she continues doing the wonderful work when I require some assistance.”
Teresa Cotter
Teresa has been working for Penny’s Home Care for 2 years, where she loves her work and the people she gets to work with.
Outside of work, Teresa is a mother of two young boys and enjoys the outdoors in the beautiful place of Wanaka and surrounding areas.
Testimonials
“10 out of 10! Penny stepped in at a time of need for my father, and she & her team were wonderful. The service was the best I’ve found on two different continents! Trustworthy with cash and caring/responsible with health issues. I highly recommend them.”
Thank you so much. It was so lovely and reassuring to have you there (as I would have been).
I can’t thank you and the girls enough for taking such good care of Mum to get her this far...
I’m so grateful that you and your girls can help us with the extra bits and pieces around the house. (The car, washing and the extra cleaning... oven, fridge and pantry.) Many thanks for your help and support.
We can’t thank you all enough for the care you have provided for Dad, just fantastic is all I can say. Dad loves it and the company is good so a great arrangement all round.
Dear Wonderful Penny. Thank you so so much for all the help and companionship that you give Mum...beyond the call of duty too I know for certain. Thank you
Thanks again for all your wonderful care and support for Mum.
Our Wanaka holiday was a great success, thanks mainly to your lovely ladies. ‘A’ plus for all of them. We hope to do it again.
Dad told me how appreciative he is of all you, he said what an incredible difference it has made to his life and you’re all so clean and tidy around the house!
Best regards - and thank you for absolutely everything. I would have been lost without you and your team over these past 20 months.
Thanks Penny -- fabulous support and I know he enjoys the visits from your people.
Thank you for taking the time to come over and bringing the flowers and card - it was really lovely x.
Thanks so much for all your help. It was much appreciated by us all - Everyone was always so professional.
I can’t thank you enough for all you did for Mum and us all. Your girls are just amazing, such special people who made a huge difference in Mums life, and ours. Thank you so much
You and your team made such an incredible difference for Mum. Thank you for all your love, care and support you and your team gave to us.
My sincere thanks and huge appreciation for the love care and companionship your team gave to Mum, words cannot express our thanks.
Thank you so very much for all your care, kindness and support.
Thank you for your everyday love for Mum and all our family. We have total respect for what you do and how you do it. You are a very special team.
This thank you card hardly seems enough to thank you for the loving care and compassion shown to Mum over the years. I know she was very fond of you all and considered you her “special friends”. Thank you also for the support and time you gave to me when things were getting difficult.
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Contact Us
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information about our services.
Call or Email Us
Mobile: 027 343 4776
Email: pennyshomecare@xtra.co.nz
Our Location
Penny's Home Care Wanaka, New Zealand