Western District Health Service (WDHS) is encouraging the community to sign up for an online survey, to provide a greater understanding of community needs and concerns, as the pandemic unfolds.
WDHS Chief Executive, Rohan Fitzgerald says COVID-19 is one of the biggest challenges of our time and is impacting everyone in our community differently.
“As we’ve all see over the past few months, the Covid-19 pandemic is an unpredictable force that has changed our lives in many different ways.
Through this survey we hope to gain a better understanding of how individuals and households are coping with, and adjusting to the pandemic.
As we plan for the future, we are keen to hear how it has affected people personally, and what supports would help our community to stay healthy, connected and mentally resilient,” he said.
The survey looks at the challenges of social isolation, health concerns related to the virus, the availability and uptake of information, financial and other impacts and perceptions about the WDHS response to COVID-19.
“In this rapidly changing environment, keeping our finger on the pulse of our community over the next few months will allow us to adapt our services and provide important feedback to other organisations about community needs.
Understanding how people in our region are dealing with the added social and economic pressures of COVID-19 is crucial, to our overall regional response,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
Anyone interested in participating in the survey can access it via the WDHS Facebook page, or website at www.wdhs.net. All participants will complete a current survey, with follow-up surveys sent out every four weeks for the next 6 months, allowing perceptions and experience to be tracked over time.
Community Liaison Manager, Brigid Kelly says the survey takes 5 to 10 minutes and has been set up to ensure that all responses remain anonymous.
“Email addresses are not linked to responses or used for any other purpose. This is purely about trying to understand the concerns of our community during this critical time, to help map our way forward.
We will be sharing the overall results with all participants and the community more broadly, so that everyone can get some value from the data collection, to ensure we are doing everything we can to support our community during this challenging time,” Mrs Kelly said.
If you have any questions, please contact: WDHS Community Liaison on 5551 8540 or community.liaison@wdhs.net If you are feeling anxious and need support call the Beyond Blue COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 512 348 or Lifeline on 13 11 14