The Moree Community Health team welcomes patients who want to prevent ill health through the new ‘preventative care’ program.
IMPROVING the health of the community is an ambitious goal, but there are signs that a new initiative is getting attention at Moree Community Health Centre.
The ‘Preventive Care’ program helps people take steps to minimise their risk of illness, infections and injuries now and in the future.
Moree Community Health manager, Anne Lemmon, said whenever someone attended their appointment, the team at Community Health addressed their immediate concern, then asked the patient some additional questions.
“These additional questions address the following preventable risks: smoking, nutrition (eating more fruit and vegetables), alcohol (reducing unsafe drinking), increasing physical activity, immunisation, and reducing the risk of falls in older people,” Mrs Lemmon said.
She said Preventive Care - ‘Better Health Check’ would further enhance the care local Community Health
clients received.
“Staff at Moree have always been committed to encouraging healthy lifestyles and preventing ill-health, as well as treating it. This new initiative will assist them to help clients take steps to prevent ill health,” Mrs Lemmon said.
“Clients will receive advice on how they can work towards a healthy lifestyle and be offered further support to help them put changes into place. This is a very exciting initiative for clinical staff to support health and wellbeing of clients.”
“We have had clients say how the care has helped them make changes to their physical activity, diet and smoking habits.”
Dr John Wiggers, director of HNE Population Health, said often people were ready to make a change but may not know where to start.
“Community Health staff are well-placed to identify those clients whose health are at-risk, and to refer them to expert support services such as the NSW Quitline and the Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service, as well as local organisations,” Dr Wiggers said.