Haldimand and Norfolk residents are being asked if their health and social services needs have changed since the start of the pandemic and if those needs are being met.
Residents are invited to participate in a community needs assessment survey launched by Haldimand-Norfolk Health and Social Services.
A community needs assessment was last conducted in 2019, just prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s recognized that many things have changed over the past three years, which made it necessary to repeat the survey,” said Dr. Kate Bishop-Williams, project lead and epidemiologist with the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit.
The survey findings will be used to monitor trends, determine priorities and develop strategies for the communities.
“Creating a healthier, more vibrant community doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” said Bishop-Williams. “It requires collaboration, determination and information, and the process starts with the residents of our community.”
Survey questions include respondents’ ability to access social services and healthcare, their eating and exercise habits, family makeup, and the housing situation.
“We hope to gather responses from as large of a representation of our community as possible,” said Bishop-Williams. “Analyzing data from a robust number of voices results in a stronger understanding of community issues and concerns. This data really helps inform the identification of strategic health issues, point to priority populations, and suggest potential strategies to address problems.”
The survey takes about 15 minutes and is available at www.hnhu.org/CNASurvey. The survey can be done over the phone by calling 519-426-6170 or 905-318-6623. Paper copies of the survey will also be available at all Haldimand-Norfolk Health and Social Services buildings and at public library branches in the two counties. The survey is open until July 31.
Focus groups and interviews with community members and local agencies and stakeholders will be happening simultaneously with the public survey to provide additional feedback.
“The assessment is like a GPS system guiding us on how to improve the health and wellness of all of Haldimand and Norfolk but we need the community’s help in determining which direction to go,” said Syed Shah, acting director for the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. “Gathering the community’s perspective of health issues and the local social services experience is essential to fully understand our community’s health and quality of life.”
The survey responses are gathered anonymously, protecting the privacy of respondents. The information collected will be compiled and released following a report to the board of health. No individual information or names will be included in the report.