12 June 2019
- Children & Adults Social Care Directorate holds second round of ‘Day-Care Health Check’, in partnership with the Health Directorate
- ‘Day-Care Health Check’ provides disabled adult clients with regular access to health checks, health information and future health plans
- 26 clients from the community and residential homes accessed the service on 23 May 2019
In a second round of ‘Day Care Health Check’, 26 clients from the Island community and residential homes were able to access health checks, health information and future health plans during an all-day event at Barnview. Attendees were able to check their height, weight, blood pressure, BMI and blood sugar levels as well as engage in fun day-care activities.
Primary Care & Community Nurse Practitioner, Nicola Anderson, commented:
“The Community Nurses devised a Health Questionnaire and checklist tailored to screen the participants for chronic diseases, collect baseline medical data, identify any potential health problems which may need follow-up, check medications are taken correctly and provide lifestyle advice and brief intervention.
“The Community Nurses were happy to take part in such an important and worthwhile day. This also fits in with the ‘Altogether Healthier’ goal of the Island’s 10-Year Plan.”
The Physiotherapy staff met with six patients, four of whom will require follow-up visits.
Physiotherapist, Bradley Petersen, said:
“I think it was good for us as health care professionals to go out into the community and serve the clients instead of them usually coming to us. This is even more important considering that most of the clients seen that day had some impairment, therefore making them coming out to an appointment very difficult. I understand that this usually requires a bit of admin, getting suitable vehicles for transport or just getting family members or carers involved. This was the outcome of the day as everyone congregated at the same place and was able to see multiple members of the Health Directorate.”
The Dental staff saw 11 patients on the day all of whom required follow-up visits at the Dental Clinic.
Dental Officer, Heather Cowdry, said:
“For us this session was a way of reaching clients who would not ordinarily choose to attend the Dental Clinic, often due to the difficulties they have in doing so, and/or a lack of perceived need for dental care. Having a day dedicated to providing a range of services and screenings enables these clients to be assessed by multiple teams with the minimal disruption and difficulty and by doing so enables future care and treatment needs to be planned in an appropriate manner.”
To date, five clients have already been seen and their treatment completed, two clients are ongoing and the remaining are scheduled to be seen in the next couple of weeks to fit around their schedule.
Community & Residential Disability Manager, Nicolene Adams, concluded:
“By organising and investing in these bi-monthly health checks and health action plans we aim to build relationships of trust with our disabled community and residential clients and their families. We are then able to identify health problems in the early stages by allowing easier access to health services and providing maximum support.
“The provision of the service is a good example of directorates working together to improve the outcomes for the residents of St Helena. In an NHS report written by Dr Matt Hoghton RCGP Medical Director, he states the following: ‘No person can change the world but together we can change the world of one person’.
“I wish to sincerely thank Day Care Officers, Carers, Community Nurses, the Physiotherapy staff , Occupational Therapy staff and Dental Staff who are working together to provide an invaluable service to promote the wellbeing of vulnerable adults in the St Helena community.”
#StHelena #Children&AdultsSocialCare #AltogetherSafer #AltogetherHealthier
https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/
https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt
SHG
12 June 2019