| Programs and Services - Cardiovascular |
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Cardiovascular Services:
 Cardiac Coach
Chronic Heart Disease (Heartwise)
 
Services provided by HARP PIH Program
The following services are provided for clients referred into the Program:
- Initial and review assessments
- Key worker to coordinate interventions
- Care planning and care coordination
- Client action plans
- Liaison with regular GP
- Education and self management support
- Specialist consultation as appropriate and available
Service duration and hours of operation
Services are offered from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
The service duration depends on the client’s needs and the service component area. HARP PIH aims to provide interim services to address client’s needs and to transition clients into more sustainable services as available and appropriate.
Cardiac Coach Service
The Cardiac Coach program is a training program for patients with coronary heart disease. Patients are coached via telephone to aggressively pursue the target levels for their particular coronary risk factors while working in partnership with their own doctors. Patients are recruited from the cardiology ward at The Royal Melbourne Hospital after cardiac surgery or treatment for a cardiac event.
Cardiac Coach provides telephone coaching to patients once they have been discharged from hospital. Patients are graduated from the program when their coronary risk factors reach the desired targets.
Eligibility: Patients admitted to Cardiology Wards with heart attack or for surgery.
Location: This is a telephone service but the Cardiac Coach program is based at The Royal Melbourne Hospital - City Campus.
Chronic Heart Failure Service (Heartwise)
Heartwise aims to improve management and outcomes for people with chronic heart failure (CHF), as they move from hospital to home, and to maintain them safely in the community. Any patient with a diagnosis of CHF who meets the criteria for the service can be referred.
All clients referred into Heartwise are eligible for:
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A telephone call and a home visit within a week of discharge;
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Access to an RMH Cardiologist via the CHF clinic at Merri Community Health Service;
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Ongoing monitoring and support of the client and carer’s individual needs, by phone or home visit and referral to other services as required;
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Education concerning self-management of medications, fluid balance, diet and the awareness of the Heart Action Plan to reduce recurrence of acute exacerbation
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A home based or centre-based exercise program by a physiotherapist
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All patients are eligible for other HARP services including Medication Management, Chronic Respiratory, Falls prevention and Care Facilitation.
Eligibility:"Diagnosis of Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) as demonstrated on echocardiogram as Left Ventricular Dysfunction"*
AND
"a hospital admission with CHF and is at risk of hospitalisation due to symptoms of Heart Failure"
*Left ventricular dysfunction is defined as moderate to severe systolic or diastolic dysfunction.
Location: The Heartwise Program operates from of Merri CHS and Essendon Uniting Church Hall.
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