Sandon Integrated Health in Maldon, Victoria | Mental health service

Sandon Integrated Health

Locality: Maldon, Victoria

Phone: +61 478 061 492

Address: Maldon Hospital, Adair Street entrance 3463 Maldon, VIC, Australia

Website: https://sandon-integrated-health.jimdosite.com

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• Medical and health
• Alternative & holistic health service
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• Naturopath

25.01.2022 Ayurvedic medicine and heavy metal contamination Status: Active Date issued: 22 September 2020... Issued by: Dr Angie Bone, Deputy Chief Health Officer (Environment), Victoria Issued to: Health professionals and consumers Key messages An Ayurvedic medication ‘Manasmithra Vatika’ (Manasamitram Pills), imported from India, has been found to contain lead and other heavy metals. Young children, including unborn babies, are at greatest risk of the health effects of lead exposure. Anyone who is using this product or giving it to a child should be advised to stop immediately, consult a GP and arrange testing. The department must be notified of all blood lead levels greater than 5 g/dL within five days of diagnosis.

25.01.2022 Have you had your Flu-Vaccine yet? Are you over 65? Are you under 65, and: ... Are aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander? Have a medical condition (Cardiac disease; chronic neurological condition; chronic respiratory condition; Diabetes; Immunocompromised; Renal disease and/or Haematological disorder)? Pregnant? If so, then you are able to obtain the flu-vaccine for free. The only thing you have to do is present your Medicare card. If you have answered yes to any of these questions and have not had your flu-vaccine this year, please call Wendy Blanch (Nurse Practitioner) on 0478 061 492 to arrange for an appointment.

24.01.2022 Thank you Wendy, NP for sharing your COVID-19 experience. Nurse Practitioners are playing a vital role in helping to fight this pandemic. Thank you Wendy for ...your care, skills and compassion. "I started working at Maryborough District Health in March when the COVID-19 pandemic was in its infancy. I was employed to work, in drug and alcohol program, Doctors in Secondary School Program and to help out in the staff clinic. I was the only Nurse Practitioner on at the time, as the other Nurse Practitioner was having a hard earned break, I first commenced my journey in the organization in the "Fever Clinic" testing staff and members of the community for the COVID-19 virus. During the early days I wore many hats, as a counselor, as a tester, as a prescriber and also the staff clinic. The organisation is very supportive, I was able to fit in where they needed me and participated in many areas that my scope of practice, and experience, enabled me (mental health and primary care). During the next couple of months I continued to work in the Fever Clinic, but for less days because my role increased in other areas such as inpatient withdrawal, drug and alcohol counseling, working with the Doctors in Schools Program both in the school, and remotely after the schools had to close down, I found that I have so far felt well supported in my journey with this organization, in my area where I work and with the senior management." To submit your experience go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZTG6GZP #np #nursepractitioner #covid19 #nurses2020 #share #staysafe

23.01.2022 Pregabalin linked with suicide and overdoses Patients, especially younger people, are at an increased risk of suicidal behaviours, unintentional overdoses and traffic incidents while taking pregabalin, a UK-led study shows. Anxiety drugs... Those taking gabapentinoids are 26% more likely to attempt or die by suicide while on the medications, according to the study, led by Oxford University researchers. They also found a 24% higher risk of unintentional overdose, a 22% increased risk of head or body injuries and a 13% increased risk of road traffic incidents or offences associated with the medications. When the drugs were examined separately in the BMJ study, only pregabalin, and not gabapentin, was linked with increased risks of harm. Previous studies linked gabapentinoids to suicidal behaviour and overdose-related deaths, but the researchers said findings had been inconsistent and data on longer-term harms were lacking. In their study, the researchers used Swedish national prescription, patient, death and crime registers, identifying almost 192,000 people aged 15 and older prescribed pregabalin or gabapentin between 2006 and 2013. Overall, 59% of participants were women and most were 45 or over. Researchers then compared a range of harms including suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdose, injuries, road traffic incidents and violent crime during treatment periods with baseline risk during periods of no treatment. During treatment, patients faced elevated risks of most harms, although there were no statistically significant links with violent crime. Young people aged 15-24 faced the highest risks of harms from gabapentinoids. This might be because young people used alcohol or illicit drugs together with gabapentinoids and that this combination increased the risk of adverse outcomes, the researchers suggested. In a linked editorial, Dr Derek Tracy, a consultant psychiatrist at Queen Marys Hospital in London, said these findings provided solid data to inform patients on the risks associated with treatment. The findings challenge the clinical utility of the broad categorisation gabapentinoid and suggest it might be time to uncouple pregabalin and gabapentin for the purposes of legislation and guidelines, Dr Tracy wrote. Despite reasonable concerns, the drugs remained a valued therapeutic option for many people, he concluded.

23.01.2022 DID YOU KNOW: Every day in Australia: * 3 people die from pharmaceutical opioids * 150 people are hospitalised and 14 people present to emergency ... Departments due to opioid-related harm. Pharmaceutical opioids include naturally derived opioids (codeine, morphine and oxycodone), methadone, synthetic opioids (pethidine, fentanyl, tramadol) and other/unspecified opioids. Opioids can be an effective component of the management of acute and cancer-related pain. However, recent evidence shows that for most patients with chronic non-cancer pain, opioids do not provide clinically important improvement in pain or function compared with placebo. Additionally, they carry significant risk of harm; opioid-related harms persist or increase with time and increasing doses.

22.01.2022 The impact of COVID-19, social distancing and isolation has caused a lot of stress, anxiety and lowered mood. This has impacted on how we are work, live and socialize with family and friends. During this challenging time it is important to look after your mental health and physical well being. If you or a friend or family member is struggling through this trying time, it is important to seek help by being able to talk about how you are feeling. There are many ways that ...you or a loved one can do this, depending on how you/they are feeling. If it is an emergency and you or a loved one is in trouble then please call 000. If you or your loved one is experiencing a personal crisis or having suicidal thoughts then contact Lifeline on 131 114 (24/7 hotline). If you need mental health support then call Beyondblue Hotline on 1800 512 348. If a young person between 5 and 25 is struggling with their mental health and would like to talk to someone confidentially then encourage them to call Kids 24/7 Hotline on 1800 551 800. You can also engage with health professionals that are experienced in mental health such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors and mental health nurses/nurse practitioners. It is important to make an appointment with your GP and discuss what would suit your needs and he or she will develop a mental health care/treatment plan based on what services would be the best fit. Mental health care/treatment plans attract medicare rebates for up to 10 appointments per year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most services are opting either telephone support and counseling and/or video support and counseling. Some services are still engaging in face-to-face services but with the increase of numbers of cases this is changing. If you are starting to struggle, please dont just ignore it, get help today! Wendy Blanch Nurse Practitioner (Mental Health/Primary Care) ACMHN, AMNF, ACNP, ATMS Medicare Provider (Bulk Billing Service)

18.01.2022 STRESS RESPONSE: All people experience stress or feel threatened at different times. When we are threatened or feel threatened, a part of the brain (the amy...gdala) detects the threat. The amygdala signals to our body and brain that we are in danger and we feel fear, panic and distress. Our stress response takes over and we go into survival mode. In survival mode our conscious thinking brain switches off and we react automatically to protect ourselves. Our stress response is part of our biology. It helps us survive danger. It does not involve any planning or thinking. We respond to stress in one of three main ways. We fight, we run away (flight) or we freeze (shut down). When we fight or flee, we become agitated (on high alert). We call this hyperarousal. When we freeze, we shut down, go numb or dissociate (we disconnect from our current experience this is not conscious). We call this hypoarousal. Freeze can be active or ‘play dead’ freeze. The ‘play dead’ (faint or fawn) happens when we cannot defend ourselves anymore and we appease or please instead. When the danger passes, our thinking brain turns back on. Our body becomes calm. We return to a resting state. In the resting state we can repair. This happens with everyday stress. Trauma is different. Extracted from: Blue Knot Foundation. If you are experiencing complex trauma please contact the Blue Knot Helpline on 1300 657 380

17.01.2022 WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH?

15.01.2022 Gut bacteria may play a role in anxiety A recent systematic review has found that regulating gut bacteria through dietary change and probiotic intake might help alleviate symptoms of anxiety. And, further, the review of 21 studies suggested that changing what a person ate, such as following a low FODMAP diet, was likely more effective than adding in a probiotic supplement.... Fourteen of the studies used one or more probiotics as the intervention and the remainder used non-probiotic methods. Overall, more than half of the studies showed that adjusting the gut microbiome had a positive effect in reducing anxiety symptoms. The most successful were dietary changes, with 86% efficacy, compared with the probiotic studies, of which 36% were effective. The authors said non-probiotic options might have worked better because dietary changes had more of an impact on gut bacteria growth than introducing specific types of bacteria. In addition, the interventions were only for 4-8 weeks, which might have been too short a duration to create an abundance of good bacteria. Regardless of the intervention, the probability of serious adverse reactions was low. Only four studies reported mild adverse effects such as dry mouth or diarrhoea. In the clinical treatment of anxiety symptoms, in addition to the use of psychiatric drugs for treatment, we can also consider regulating intestinal flora to alleviate anxiety symptoms, the authors concluded.

15.01.2022 @acnpnational #npmuchmore

13.01.2022 You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions: Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands. Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and others. Why? When someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks they spray small liquid dro...plets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person has the disease. Avoid going to crowded places. Why? Where people come together in crowds, you are more likely to come into close contact with someone that has COVID-19 and it is more difficult to maintain physical distance of 1 metre (3 feet). Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you. Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash your hands. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19. Stay home and self-isolate even with minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house, wear a mask to avoid infecting others. Why? Avoiding contact with others will protect them from possible COVID-19 and other viruses. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, but call by telephone in advance if possible and follow the directions of your local health authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections. Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Why? Local and national authorities are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves. See more

12.01.2022 The five stages of change Precontemplation (Not ready) The person doesnt necessarily see their behaviour to be a problem and theyre not intending to take any action in the foreseeable future. Contemplation (Getting ready) The person is starting to realise their behaviour is a problem and theyre more prepared to consider the pros and cons of their continued behaviour.... Preparation (Im ready) They are starting to be more intentional in working towards the first small steps of behaviour change. Action (Taking positive steps) They are taking active steps to modify their behaviour, shifting towards a healthier lifestyle. Maintenance (Sustained positive change over 6 months) They have been able to sustain the positive changes for more than 6 months and are working towards preventing relapse.

12.01.2022 DID YOU KNOW: In Victoria, a Nurse Practitioner is defined as "a registered nurse educated for advanced practice who is an essential member of an interdependent health care team and whose role is determined by the context in which they practice". The Nurse Practitioner is required to have a Postgraduate Diploma in their specialized modality, have a Masters level qualification and is endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner with AHPRA. The Nurse Practitioner practices with autonomy within an interdisciplinary framework to maximise access to expert mental health/primary nursing care to promote recovery and optimum outcomes for those who experience chronic and/or mental illness.

11.01.2022 Hi All, I am offering influenza vaccines for people who are over 65. If you have been unable to get a vaccine due to shortages and/or you GP is not seeing patients face-to-face, please give us a call on 0478 061 492 to arrange an appointment.

02.01.2022 Did you know that there are 50 ways to say goodbye to bad mental health?

01.01.2022 Naturopathy is the study of natural medicine and offers a holistic approach to wellness. Naturopaths believe it is the whole person that needs assessment, not just the symptom or condition. That means a naturopath will look at your life as a whole, rather than its individual pieces. They will want to know about your diet, lifestyle, family history and living environment, as well as any current complaints. Naturopaths can also use techniques like iris analysis, and analysis... of blood, stool, urine or hair. Naturopaths focus on long-term health and prevention, though they can also help with acute and chronic conditions. They can work with you to address a wide range of conditions including gastrointestinal issues, stress and nervous tension, sleeplessness, fertility problems, headaches, joint health, and skin conditions. They can also create personalised programs that help increase energy levels, support your immune system and assist with weight loss. Naturopaths offer natural, non-invasive ways that focus on lifestyle changes, nutrition, herbal medicine and supplements. A poor diet and lifestyle factors like smoking and excessive drinking can have a serious impact on your health. A naturopath can help you work out a nutritious meal plan and recommend herbal medicines or supplements to help support the body. A professional naturopath will have, at a minimum, an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathy and will often have a Bachelors Degree in Health Science as well. Naturopaths should have professional indemnity insurance and should be registered with one of the industry bodies, such as the Australian Naturopathic Practitioners Association, Australian Traditional Medicine Society or Australian Natural Therapists Association. Ref: Blackmores