Dhelkaya Health welcomed members of Heartbeat Victoria’s Bendigo Branch to celebrate and thank them for the gift of three electrocardiogram (ECG) machines for use in its residential aged care units.

Dhelkaya Health CEO Sue Race and the Nurse Unit Managers from Thompson House, Ellery and Penhall on the Castlemaine campus were keen to let Heartbeat representatives, including President Frank Ward, Vice President Barbara Dellar and Treasurer Nola Ward, know the impact the gift will have on managing potential cardiac incidents.

Ms Melodie Heland, Executive Director of Clinical & Aged Care Services said: “We’re so grateful to have the ECG machines available onsite in our residential aged care. It means that if a resident experiences chest pain or other cardiac symptoms, we can use the ECG machine to enable a definitive diagnosis.”

Previously staff would have needed to call an ambulance and have the resident transferred to the Urgent Care Centre for the ECG, which is critical in making a diagnosis. For vulnerable and frail older people, the transfer can be both exhausting and emotionally upsetting, and uses precious ambulance resources.

Now these incidents can all be managed for residents in familiar surroundings where they live, with staff able to access the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and have ECG results assessed there and then.

Ms Heland said: “Having a modern, digitally-enabled system makes for better and more timely diagnosis and care. Our staff told us that this equipment was a priority for improving care, so we can’t thank the Bendigo Branch of Heartbeat Victoria enough for responding to our request for help. Our residents and staff will get many years of use from this fantastic new equipment.”  

Groups such as Heartbeat are invaluable. They offer peer support to those who have had a cardiac event and or procedure, and their family and friends. They promote friendship through meetings, lunches and social events and they assist in the development of cardiac resources in hospitals by fundraising.”

Ms Sue Race, CEO, said: “We are so fortunate to have benefitted from Heartbeat’s gift. We encourage people to take advantage of the group’s support, social occasions and fundraising events. This is a fine example of the power of community.”

You can find Heartbeat on Facebook at www.facebook.com/heartbeatbendigo or phone 0400 657 954.