Programmes

Rural Health & Wellness

Supporting our rural communities

Ensuring that rural communities have access to mental and physical health checks is the main objective of the Rural Health & Wellness initiative, being launched in June this year.

Our Rural Health and Wellness mobile van is designed to provide free health checks in our rural communities across New Zealand to farmers, which is easy, timely and accessible. The wellness checks involve a conversation about your general wellness, mental health and will also include:

  • Blood sugar
  • Cholesterol levels
  • Blood pressure
  • BMI

People who visit the van will receive a report card from the nurse that they can then take to their own GP for further follow up.

“Regular health checks not only help identify underlying medical conditions, but they can also be a guide to options that speed up the recovery process and help maintain and improve overall health and wellbeing”.

Education

The focus of the Carr Family Foundation to date, has primarily been the Rural Health & Wellness initiatives alongside the long term support of the Canterbury Air Rescue Helicopter. The Foundation will begin to work on its longer term strategy of incorporating Education into the work it does in the community in the near future.

Community Support

The Carr Family Foundation is proud to support the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust who have been supporting emergency rescue helicopter services since 1989. The Trust works in partnership with GCH Aviation to deliver Canterbury’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, based in Christchurch, and the West Coast ROA Mining Rescue Helicopter Service, based in Greymouth. Each year the rescue helicopters and their crews average over 950 life-saving missions across the regions, attending everything from motor vehicle, industrial and farm accidents, to medical events, maternity and inter-hospital patient transfers. The rescue helicopter service is only partly Government funded, and is therefore reliant on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and organisations, like the Carr Family Foundation, to help it raise over $6m each year to ensure our crews can be there for each and every patient at their time of greatest need.

“A couple of months ago at a clearing sale, 3 of us all had a health check. As a result I had high blood pressure, feeling off colour and extremely stressed. The nurse Kirsten kindly booked a follow up with a Doctor. After the doctor’s appointment and a month of medication my blood pressure is now down and I am feeling a whole lot better. I am very grateful and appreciative of the Rural Health and Wellness Programme.”

Matt Paton

Ashburton Farmer

Our Testimonials

Mike B

When I used the van, it was based at the trade fencing day that was being held at Mosgiel, as part of the Fencing Contractors Association NZ Conference. The night before, I had been for a walk up the hill behind the motel we were staying at. Partway up the steep Dunedin Street, I thought I was actually having a heart attack. I was reasonably fit but had recently had Covid and received a vaccine. The van did my blood pressure, which was the highest of the day. I cannot remember the numbers, but it was scary high. I was told I should get a full medical when I got back to the Manawatu. This resulted in being put on permanent blood pressure medication, with regular checks. A year or so later, I found out I had bilateral blood clots in my lungs, so I have had a bit of a journey to sort that out over the last year. If I hadn't had that short test at the Carr Foundation van, things might have been a whole lot worse. I believe these days, getting rural folk to have a simple test on a regular day out could end up saving lives.

Aaron G

I run a very diverse farm, and over the years I've had some mates affected with heart attacks and other stress-related health issues. You hear about high blood pressure being called a silent killer, and you sort of nod along, but you don't think much of it until it's someone you know. I was at an event and got invited to pop into the Health and Wellness Van for a check. Didn't think much of it, figured I'd be in and out in five minutes. Turns out my blood pressure was through the roof. Came as a real surprise, I felt fine. I'm on medication for it now and getting it checked regularly. If I'd had an aneurysm or stroke, I don't know how I'd have kept the farm running. It's not something you plan for. Glad I took the ten minutes to get checked.