From patient to volunteer for hospital’s new help desk

14 July 2015
From patient to volunteer for hospital’s new help desk

Usually Johnsonville resident Valerie Smith attends her twice weekly appointments at Kenepuru Hospital as a patient, but for the next two months it will be as a volunteer as well, helping other people with disabilities use our health services.

Valerie will be manning a new help desk being trialled in the hospital’s atrium to hand out disability support information and other resources.

“Living with a disability in the community you face many challenges – with the desk I hope we can help make the journey a little easier.”

Valerie was born with a rare connective tissue disorder, called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which means she has a range of health challenges such as weak lungs, a curved spine and difficulties with mobility.

“When you regularly visit hospital you find a lot of the same questions are repeated. By using resources like the Health Passport I can show them my needs and know I’m not forgetting anything.”

The Health Passport is a booklet developed by the Health and Disability Commission and District Health Boards to help people when attending providers of health and disability services, which you can fill with information about how you want people to communicate with and support you.

“In my passport I list my support needs like the position of the bedding, lactose intolerance, the assisted breathing device I need when I sleep, things which could otherwise be overlooked.

“The medical side is just one aspect of care and the information you put on the passport can help you not just in the hospital, but when dealing with other community health services as well.

“With the help desk I hope we can give more people access to Health Passports and know they are there for them to take ownership.”

The help desk is just one part of an initiative by Capital & Coast District Health Board to improve services for patients who experience disability, says disability responsiveness advisor Lindsey Allen.

“Around 30% of our patients are disabled so responding better to patients who experience disability and long term complex health needs is a high priority for us.

“The help desk will offer support to these patients, not just in accessing Health Passports, but other help like disability alerts. These alerts are attached to your health profile so as soon as you come into the hospital you get the support you need, before you’ve even seen the doctor.

“Depending how people react to the help desk in Kenepuru we will consider expanding the initiative to include Wellington Hospital.”

The help desk is open on Monday and Wednesday mornings throughout July and August in the atrium of Kenepuru Hospital.

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