HELENA — From sensory tools to comfort items, Carter Kits give ambulance crews resources designed to help comfort patients with autism and sensory sensitivities during emergencies.
“Things like this can make a big difference in a patient's life,” Chris Mulberry, the St. Peter’s Health EMS manager, noted.
(WATCH: St. Peter's ambulance adds sensory kits as a resource)
It’s not just about having the resource on board, but also training on how to use it and recognizing when it is needed.
“How to identify those situations so we know when to bring these out,” Mulberry shared. “It isn’t just like a toy that we are carrying, know it's a tool that can help them and help us.”
A Carter Kit is now available on every St. Peter’s ambulance, as well as in their emergency department.
“It is another tool that adds to taking care of each other,” Mulberry shared.
Each kit includes fidget toys, sunglasses, headphones, and a weighted blanket. Mulberry expressed, “It’s almost like a hug and giving that sense of security.”
These kits were made possible through grant funding. The NAMI Helena board of directors awarded the St. Peter’s Health Foundation $24,500 for the purchase of the Carter Kits.
Recently, the Department of Public Health and Human Services distributed a few kits to services across the state, which has helped build the supply in Helena.
“The purpose of the kit is we want to help people be comfortable through the complete part of their medical journey,” Mulberry shared.
Items from the kit may first be used during an ambulance ride, but can be taken with a patient as they recover in the hospital and eventually at home. The ambulance barn has enough supplies to refill the kits as needed.
EMS staff say having tools like these is critical to providing inclusion and accessibility in our community.
