While you are at Hauora Tairawhiti, you are the most important member of your health care team.
- Let us know how we are doing
- Tell us if we can provide better care for you
- Ask questions about your care or treatment you don’t understand
Input from our patients and patients spouse/partner, family/whanau or other support persons/agencies helps us improve service and provide a safer health care environment. You should feel comfortable and empowered to question anything that you don’t understand.
How you can help in your care:
Know about your care
- You and your doctor should agree on exactly what will happen to you in the hospital
- Know who will be taking care of you
- Know how long a treatment or procedure will last
- Know how you should expect to feel after a treatment or procedure
Pay attention
- Watch what is happening in the room around you
- Know what is happening to you
- If you don’t know, ask
- If you still don’t understand, please ask again
Enlist your friends and family as support persons
- Encourage your spouse or partner or a trusted family member or friend to stay with you as your "health care partner," especially if you feel the need for extra support or advice
- Ask your spouse/partner or family member or friend to be your “eyes and ears” – to know everything that is happening to you and why
- Ask your spouse/partner or family member or friend to speak up if something seems strange
- Make sure your family member or friend knows how you feel about resuscitation and life support
Interpreters
- If you need or want to use an interpreter, please let the service or ward know
- Some interpreter services are available by phone, others may take time to arrange
Speak up
- Voice questions or concerns
- Don’t be embarrassed to point out something that seems wrong. Your treatment and care will not be compromised. Please tell us if you have a concern or question about your care.
Make sure you are the right patient
- Staff must identify you before they provide care to you
- They must use two methods of identification every time they give you medication. If your caregiver does not use two methods – please remind them to do so.
Know your medications
- You should know as much as possible about the medications you are taking. We want you to ask questions if there is something that is not clear or if the medication you are receiving does not seem right
- If a pill looks unfamiliar to you – don’t take it unless you know what it is
- When you leave our services with a prescription or new medication please ask about written information about it and read it
Check for ID badges
- Look for staff ID badges – every staff member must wear one
- Don’t let anyone care for you who is not wearing a badge
Make sure staff wash their hands
- All staff are required to wash their hands
- They must wash their hands before and after everything they do. If they don’t, please ask them to do so.