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Helping and Supporting each other |
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Alison Bunn “Community Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist” The aim of the cardiac rehabilitation service is to offer support, guidance and advice regarding recovery from a recent cardiac event. Once home, all patients admitted to Louth Hospital can expect to be telephoned by Ali within 4 working days of their discharge and be seen, during these early stages of recovery, at home shortly after that . An individual risk factor assessment is completed on every patient and advice is given regarding recovery and a healthy lifestyle. Patients are also referred in to the service from other hospitals eg after undergoing cardiac surgery or angioplasty. A Phase III education and exercise programme is available for those patients that are suitable. This takes place in the Recreation Hall at Louth Hospital on Thursday afternoon and Burgh Le Marsh Village Hall on a Monday afternoon. The programme lasts for approximately six weeks. The education component of the programme incorporates topics on: Benefits of exercise, Medications, Healthy eating, Stress management, Relaxation and Basic life support. Mike Turner, a graduate of the British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation, takes the exercise component. The exercises involve a group warm up followed by a set of circuit-based exercises that are undertaken for 90 seconds at a time. There are seven stations and the circuits are completed twice. A cool down is undertaken to complete the session. This involves various stretching exercises. A Member of the Heart Support Group attends and offers support for the patient and more particularly the patient’s partner or carer. On completing Phase III, many individuals are encouraged to participate in a Phase IV exercise class. Mike Turner is the Phase IV instructor and the classes are held in the Recreation Hall at the Hospital (same as Phase III). There are two times: the Phase IV exercise classes are on Tuesdays at 11 am until 12 noon and on Thursdays at 10.30 am until 11.30 am. In Phase IV, unlike the Phase III class, partners are welcome to participate in the exercises. There is a charge of £2 per person for the Phase IV exercise class. Any person with a heart condition is welcome to ask to take part in the Phase IV classes. Those who have not done a rehabilitation programme recently (either at Louth or at another hospital), are asked to contact Nurses Alison Bunn or her team for a check over (telephone 01507 605826). |
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The community cardiac rehabilitation service is based at Louth Hospital and is available for all patients who have recently had a heart attack, cardiac surgery or angioplasty etc. |