Helpdesk aims to make life easier

EMPOWERING: Volunteer Ruth Carter (left), Compass Health disability initiatives co-ordinator Ann Carthew, and volunteer Pat Everitt look forward to promoting Health Passports at a new disability support helpdesk at Masterton Medical.

Compass Health and members of Wairarapa's disabled community have teamed up to help people with disabilities feel empowered at the doctor's office.

The health provider is to launch a disability support helpdesk at Masterton Medical to promote the centre's Health Passport initiative and its benefits.

The passports are given to people with disabilities and chronic health conditions to document their medical needs - so they can present their full history at whatever medical centre they attend.

Compass Health disability initiatives co-ordinator Ann Carthew said she had heard some "interesting stories" from disabled people who had unpleasant hospital stays because their medical needs were not documented.

"For example, if someone's got problems moving one side of their body, putting their walking frame on the wrong side of the bed feels very threatening. It takes away their dignity."

The helpdesk will be staffed by volunteers, some of whom also have disabilities - including Carterton district councillor Ruth Carter.

Mrs Carter feels her passport makes her feel more empowered when visiting a new doctor, as her disability is not the focus of the appointment.

"I don't have to repeat myself," she said. "Nine times out of 10, I'm at the doctor's because of something unrelated and I don't want to spend the whole appointment talking about why I'm in a wheelchair.

"The passport speaks for me. It gives disabled people that extra voice."

Ms Carthew said she came up with the idea after meeting people struggling to commit their health history to print.

"Most people I meet think they are a brilliant idea," Ms Carthew said.

"But some were having difficulty filling them out - either because they were worried about providing private information or they were not sure how to make themselves understood. Some people know what they need but haven't had to explain it in writing before, so expressing themselves is challenging."

At the helpdesk, volunteers can help patients fill in the various sections of their Health Passports, including mobility assistance, medication allergies, cultural needs, and the legal representatives who can make decisions on their behalf.

The volunteers will also provide information on and application forms for Wairarapa DHB's new electronic alert icon system, to be launched in June.

It allows hospital staff to digitally access a disabled person's medical history and support needs when they arrive at hospital.

The Masterton Medical helpdesk will be launched next Monday, running on a trial basis until June 8.

Ms Carthew and the volunteers hope to run future help desks at other medical centres in the region.