Stawell Regional Health offers a number of outpatient programs, operating from the Stawell Health and Community Centre in Patrick Street, to foster health and wellbeing within the community.
Gait and Balance Program
As part of Stawell Regional Health’s staunch approach to falls prevention, we offer a Gait and Balance Program, implemented by our highly skilled allied health team of occupational therapist, pharmacist, physiotherapist and podiatrist.
Gait (or walking) is a coordinated action of the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. Balance is the ability to sit, stand, or walk safely without postural deviation, falling, or reaching for external items for support. Gait and balance problems can exist when a disease process, trauma, or ageing result in the inability to control one’s center of gravity over the base of support in static or dynamic tasks and environments.
We offer weekly and monthly gait and balance classes – as well as a clinic one day per month. Our participants are evaluated on both gait and balance to identify areas of impairment, and then are supported through a personalised program of activities to help them restore proficient function and mobility in a safe and motivating environment.
A home exercise program is given to all participants to complement their class activities. We have an 18-week limit to complete the 15-week course, to emphasise the need to undertake regular activity to attain maximum strength and balance gains. A review class is held once a month where progress is regularly monitored. All graduates are followed up after three months and some clients are referred to a Council of the Ageing exercise class for continued rehabilitation.
All gait and balance programs in the Grampians region are standardised to ensure best practice and equal access for patients across the region, as well as assist us with our program evaluation and ongoing improvement of program delivery.
Falls Prevention Program
Falls have been identified as one of the major factors for hospital admission at Stawell Regional Health, particularly in people over the age of 65 years.
To help prevent this, we have a team of doctors, nurses, allied health staff and the pharmacist involved with our comprehensive Falls Prevention Program.
If someone over the age of 65 is admitted to the hospital following a fall, or has a history of a previous fall which has required medical assistance, a risk assessment is undertaken. Once this is completed, fall prevention strategies are presented to the patient (and/or their carer) such as:
- setting the bed in a low position
- wearing non-slip socks
- use of alarm senior mats and Invisibeams (invisible electric beam that alarms when a resident crossed the beam)
- provision of hip protectors
- reviewing medication
- reviewing the living environment
These strategies are followed during their hospital stay and patients are encouraged to adopt these strategies at home to reduce the risk of re-admission to hospital. In some cases, patients are referred to our Gait and Balance Program.
Health Independence Support
The Health Independence Support Program is a Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) that provides clients, generally over 65 years, with self management strategies for living with chronic disease or ongoing complex health issues.
Programs are tailored to the individual needs of clients and their carers, to ensure that they can maximum independence and have confidence to live to their full capacity. It aims to reduce the risk of hospital admission and to be eligible for this support clients need to have had a t least one recent hospital admission.
In addition to a personal plan, including an emergency management strategy, our short or long term support involves home visits, regular reviews of the strategies for their effectiveness, and regular reviews of symptoms and medication management. If required, we refer clients to other health professionals including physiotherapists, occupational therapist, dietitian and psychologist.
Funded by the State Government, this highly successful program is not only offered to people in the Stawell District, but for those also living in the broader East Wimmera Health Service catchment.
Hospital in the Home
Hospital in the Home is a free service providing acute health care to eligible patients living at home, hostels or other supported accommodation within a 15km radius of Stawell Regional Health.
The service includes a combination of hospital and home-based nursing and medical care, and in many instances, can replace the need for patient hospitalisation altogether. Our highly qualified nurses visit patients at home to provide the appropriate health care, and arranges for the doctor to visit if and when required.
Referrals to the Hospital in the Home program are generally made by the patient’s doctor, and patients must meet some basic eligibility criteria, such as having carer support and an environment which is suitable to receive health care services.
For further information please contact Allied Health on 5358 8531.