issues
By Julie Moss
JUST
INVISIBLE
When artificial intelligence
student Ricky Buchanan
caught glandular fever two
decades ago, little did she
know it would lead to her
being bedridden for life.
A
fter years of difficulties
in accessing home-
based healthcare,
Ricky, now 45, has become a
disability activist to help herself
and other bedridden patients.
Her detailed report, ‘Just
Invisible: Medical Access Issues for
Homebound/Bedridden Persons’,
disability stops attending the surgery, about five years’ ago I realised it
there is no follow-up to check if wouldn’t change. So, I started writing
was asked by Link why she is raising that person needs home visits or in frustration and anger, once I
awareness about healthcare for telephone consultations. started, it all came pouring out.”
was published online mid-year.
When Melbourne-based Ricky
bedridden people, she said: “If you “They are just invisible,” she said. are homebound the medical system Ricky became frustrated waiting assumes you don’t exist. If you are a for the system to change and decided echoing the same problems. She
young person the system assumes if to do something about it. interviewed this cohort of computer-
you don’t turn up you don’t want it
and there is no follow-up.”
Ricky said attending a clinic can
often mean aggravated symptoms
for homebound patients, and if a
chronically ill person or person with
34
issues
“I’ve been bedridden now for
Ricky wrote about her situation
on Facebook and soon had others
savvy young people via her home
more than 20 years and for all that computer and found several
time I assumed somebody would fix common themes.
the system,” she said.
“That’s what you expect systems
to do. Get better over time. But
Ricky researched healthcare for
homebound and bedridden people
and discovered a lack of research.
linkonline.com.au