NEWSIssue 1, 2018

BALLAN DISTRICT

HEALTH& CARE

When Everything Changes … And Then Gets Better For John Anderson, a bit of breathlessness was the only indication that his life was about to change.

‘It was last year. I went out to lunch and as I was walking up the hill I found I couldn’t breathe. I went to bed that night and woke up at three in the morning. I couldn’t sleep or get comfortable and I couldn’t breathe.’

John’s family called an ambulance and the ambulance officers made a preliminary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia where the heart beats in a rapid and irregular fashion. He remembers listening to the ambulance officers discussing whether they should take him to the hospital or whether they needed to call the Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance.

An hour and a half later, John’s heart still had not settled and the hospital had diagnosed a heart attack. Worryingly, the results of a urine test showed he had diabetes. It was a lot to take in.

The good news was that John’s heart was undamaged, but when John was discharged a week later with 55 tablets and 33 get well cards, it did not feel like good news. He had no idea what to do next.

‘It was impossible to absorb all I’d been told and I felt lost. I had gone from working seven days a week to not knowing how to get my life back on track.’

Unfortunately, rehabilitation was not suggested to John. He took the initiative to ask whether help was available.

‘I walked past a rehab sign and on an impulse walked in and asked if rehab could help me. I was overweight, depressed and unfit and they gave me a pamphlet about their 10-week course. I checked with my doctor and got approved to do rehab and I did the course, which provided information, exercise and heart monitoring. After finishing, I continued with an exercise program led by an exercise physiologist.’

The course and follow up program were fabulous, but when John returned to work he felt lost again, ‘I needed that group feeling. I was isolated again and I needed the support of a group.’

When John’s work team moved from Bacchus Marsh to a new office in Ballan he decided to ring Ballan District Health & Care to see whether there were local services that could offer him that same sort of welcoming

support. He was given an appointment with Danielle Grioli, BDHC’s Exercise Physiologist, and two days later he was involved in Beat It.

Beat It is an evidence-based exercise and lifestyle program for people at risk of, or living with, chronic conditions. The sessions involve a combination of cardiovascular, strength, balance and flexibility exercises and are run twice per week. More importantly, the Beat It sessions are filled with laughter.

‘We just have fun. It’s not about your condition. We enjoy ourselves and laugh and share a camaraderie.’

If you are managing a chronic condition, require rehabilitation services or simply want a bit of support to lead a healthier life, BDHC has a range programs and groups that can help. To enquire, please contact Sallee Salmon, BDHC’s Access Officer on (03) 5366 7907.

mattersHEALTH

John Anderson and Friends at Beat It

Sallee Salmon, BDHC’s Access Officer

BALLAN DISTRICT HEALTH & CARE | HEALTH MATTERS | ISSUE 1, 20182

Next Generation Healthcare

Tessa Clegg and Dr Rakhi Basu

Ballan District Health & Care is helping to educate the next generation of doctors by offering placement opportunities to medical students from the University of Melbourne, Deakin University and Monash University. The placements are part of BDHC’s vibrant education program, which involves partnerships with more than 12 training organisations.

Tessa Clegg is a third year medical student, who was in Ballan for six weeks to learn more about working as a doctor in a General Practice.

‘I did a biomedical degree and was planning a career in research or public health. Then my uncle, who is a GP in Wangaratta, invited me to sit in on his practice. I really enjoyed it and when I finished my biomedical degree I went straight into medicine.’

Unsurprisingly, Tessa’s first clinical year was spent in Wangaratta. In her second year, she was based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and undertook placements at the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Royal Women’s Hospital, the Royal Park Campus of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and at Ballan District Health & Care.

Tessa’s experience of being inspired by sitting in on her uncle’s General Practice does not surprise Tanya Gradolf, the Practice Manager at BDHC’s GP Clinic. Tanya believes placements at GP Clinics are fascinating experiences for medical students who tend to spend

most of their time in hospitals, ‘They are amazed when they see the amount of knowledge a General Practitioner needs.’

Dr TJ Tan, one of the General Practitioners at BDHC, sees medical placements as an opportunity to support the next generation of doctors, ‘After all, when we get old, we will need to be looked after too.’

Accreditation SuccessEvery three years, the Federal Government’s Australian Aged Care Quality Agency audits residential aged care homes to assess the care they offer in terms of:

• Healthcare and personal care

• Lifestyle

• Physical environment (including safety), and

• The responsiveness of management systems, staffing and organisational development.

The Agency audited Ballan District Health & Care in November 2017. They assessed the Hostel and the Nursing Home against 44 standards. The assessment involved speaking with residents, family representatives and staff members as well as examining systems, policies, paperwork and reports, and carefully inspecting the facilities.

Aged Care Manager, Tracey Shirreff, has noticed that the accreditation process has become more exacting, ‘It’s very rigorous and evidence-based.’

BDHC met, with merit, all 44 standards for the renewal of our aged care accreditation. The accreditors’ feedback included compliments from residents about the quality of care provided by staff members: ‘They care’, ‘They do

the little things’ and ‘They are there for us’.

Tracey explains that the assessors are very skilled at observing, ‘They ask questions but they also manage to fade into the background, sitting quietly and watching.’

The Accreditation Report is a public document and will be published on the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency website at www.aacqa.gov.au, once the assessors report is formally approved.

BALLAN DISTRICT HEALTH & CARE | HEALTH MATTERS | ISSUE 1, 2018 3

Living the Best Possible Quality of Life

Kirsten Hausknecht and Annette Muench – Collaborating on the Best Possible Quality of Life

In 2005, when Annette Muench was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, she decided to lose some weight in addition to taking the medication prescribed by her doctor. While she was very successful in achieving her weight loss goals, losing 42kg, some years later she was still experiencing high sugar readings. Annette was aware of the risks she faced.

‘Having diabetes has affected my ability to heal and to clear infections. It is a risk for my eyesight and my feet.’

She decided seek help from her Ballan District Health & Care doctor: a decision that lead to improved health. Her doctor referred her to see Kirsten Hausknecht, the Chronic Disease Management Nurse at Ballan District Health & Care.

Kirsten and Annette collaborated on a plan, which involved Annette seeing a diabetes educator and the BDHC dietitian, exercise physiologist and podiatrist.

‘I would not have put all of those people in place by myself. Kirsten helps me find ways to make things a bit better and the other health workers help me with advice and care.’

The idea of a putting a team together to support community members living with chronic diseases is based on the concept of supporting self-management. Self-management is all the decisions you make and actions you take to look after yourself in your day-to-day life.

‘I have to exercise, which can be difficult at times because I have some foot issues that give me pain. I walk and it helps. I do feel better for it. The other major change is eating! I had to cut out all the sweet stuff. No more soft drink. I think that most of my weight loss was from cutting out soft drink. It is a great help seeing Kirsten.’

BDHC has two points of contact for community members seeking support with self-managing a chronic disease:

1 A GP referral to see Kirsten Hausknecht, the Chronic Disease Management Nurse. Kirsten is available to work with both adults and children and can see any community member with a condition that has been, or is likely to be, present for six months or more. She also runs a Type 2 Diabetes clinic. To make a doctor’s appointment, please call the GP Clinic on 5366 7999.

2 A direct appointment to see Sallee Salmon, BDHC’s Access Officer. Sallee can assist community members with appointments and referrals to see members of the allied and community health teams, such as the Occupational Therapists and Podiatrists. For more information, please call Sallee on 5366-7907.

Alison Watson, demonstrating the Handy Bar, an aid for getting in and out of cars

We tend not to focus much attention on the activities of everyday living – things like showering, shopping, cooking and driving – until they become noticeable because they have become difficult.

For some people, the difficulty creeps up and before you know it, getting in and out of the car and up the steps are major achievements. For others, the change is more sudden and can come about as a result of an injury or illness, which robs you of the ability to enjoy the simple pleasures in life such as taking the dog for a walk.

Occupational Therapists specialise in solutions for the activities of daily life: they are the health sector’s most practical problem solvers.

Alison Watson is one of Ballan District Health & Care’s Occupational Therapists. She explains a bit about her role and the importance of visiting community members in their homes:

I could be visiting someone in their early 60s who is having trouble getting up the back steps. While I am there I will ask if I can have a look at the other activities that could be presenting a few challenges: getting on and off chairs, getting through doorways, getting in

and out of the car or getting on and off the bus. Then I find solutions.

A solution could be a clever device that provides some extra support when getting out of a car (see photo). It could be a minor home modification such as handrails. It could involve accessing a variety of BDHC’s support services via a Home Care Package. It might involve a visit from another health professional such as the District Nurse or a referral to one of BDHC’s wellness groups such as Ai Chi, a water-based total body strengthening and relaxation program.

BDHC’s Occupational Therapists can support your independence by helping you maintain the activities of daily living. To enquire, please contact Sallee Salmon, BDHC’s Access Officer on (03) 5366-7907.

Problem Solvers Protecting Independence

BALLAN DISTRICT HEALTH & CARE | HEALTH MATTERS | ISSUE 1, 20184

Thank you for your donation towards the BDHC mattress projectPlease support your community owned, ‘Not for Profit’ which provides local Health, Child & Aged Care Services

Name: Address:

1. Enclose a cheque/money order for $ (Payment to Ballan District Health & Care)

2. Online banking funds transfer to Ballan District Health & Care: BSB 063-824 Account: 1004 1223

3. Credit Card: Charge the sum $ to my VISA MasterCard

Card Number: Expiry Date:

Cardholder: Signature: Date:

Please complete this form and mail to: Ballan District Health & Care 33 Cowie Street, Ballan, VIC 3342

ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AND WE WILL SEND YOU A TAX RECEIPT

Better Skin HealthThe Aged Persons Welfare Foundation and the Ballan Hospital Auxiliary have donated funds to support Ballan District Health & Care in its continued efforts to improve the skin health of aged care residents.

Over the last 16 months, with support from the Ballan Hospital Auxiliary, BDHC trialled five specialised mattresses to reduce and treat pressure ulcers. The CuroCell Area Mattress reduces surface pressure, shear and moisture, all of which are particularly problematic for aged care residents, especially those with high care needs.

When BDHC began using the Swedish mattresses, the overall number of skin incidents declined. In those areas were we focused our efforts (the acute and palliative care areas) we experienced the lowest of number of skin incidents.

In August 2017, BDHC received two wonderful donations that extended the availability of these mattresses. The Ballan Hospital Auxiliary donated funds to buy another mattress. Shortly afterwards, the Aged Persons Welfare Foundation donated funds to purchase five mattresses for the nursing home.

BDHC is working towards using this new mattress technology across the entire aged care facility. Our first target is to raise funds to buy five more mattresses for the nursing home, which would complete the mattress conversion in that area. The next priority is to raise funds to purchase ten mattresses for the Memory Support Unit. The hostel would be the final focus.

In 2016, BDHC interviewed staff and community members about the organisation’s history. Many people spoke about the changing needs of the older

people using BDHC’s services, noting that when the hostel was first built in 1997, most aged care residents still drove their own cars. Now, in 2018, the residents tend to be much older and frailer. Today, the average age of hostel residents is 83. The average age of Transitional Care Program residents is 84 and the average age in the nursing home wing is 85.

If you would like to make a donation towards the mattress project, please get in touch on (03) 5368 1100 or simply use the donation form on the back of the newsletter or the donation page at www.ballanhealth.com.au.

Notice of a Special General MeetingA General Meeting of the Ballan & District Soldiers’ Memorial Bush Nursing Hospital &

Hostel Incorporated Association will be held on Wednesday 21 March at 17:30 at the

Primary Care Room at Ballan District Health & Care, 164 Inglis Street, Ballan.

All Association Members are encouraged to attend.

The Ballan Hospital Auxiliary

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BALLAN DISTRICT

HEALTH& CARE