Thousands of kiwis urged to stop smoking this October From 1 October thousands of kiwis will be taking part in the 31-day stop smoking challenge.

Stoptober is only in its second year in New Zealand but organisers are expecting participant numbers to double. Last year over 5,200 kiwis signed up online to participate in the first Stoptober 31-day challenge.

“We hope 10,000 kiwis sign up this year,” says Stoptober Campaign Manager, Kelly Pohatu.

“Stoptober could be the start of your pathway to good health,” says New Zealand Medical Association Chair Dr Stephen Child. A respiratory physician at Auckland Hospital, Dr Child is very familiar with the damage caused to lungs by smoking.

“Smoking is still the biggest cause of premature death in New Zealand, taking 5,000 lives each year,” he says. “We know that smoking shortens your life - those who die from smoking-related illness lose on average 15 years of life compared to non-smokers. It’s the cause of many health conditions which come at a great cost to you, your family and the country.”

“The increased support available during Stoptober makes it an excellent opportunity to quit for good - you know you’re not on your own,” Dr Child said.

“Rather than concentrate on health risks, Stoptober 2015 focuses on the positives unleashed by stopping smoking, and so our theme is ‘Stopping could be the start of something!’

For example, Stoptober could be the start of having more money in your pocket, better

living or saving for a new IPhone,” says Kelly. “Research shows that in 2013 we had 762,000 ex- smokers versus 463,000 current smokers.”

“Research also shows that 46% of young Māori have never smoked, and 86% of young Māori are Smokefree. The Stoptober movement aims to trigger stop smoking attempts on a national scale during the month of October. Once people are signed up to Stoptober, we'll be able to let them know there’s a lot of support available to them to become Smokefree including face-to-face support, and stop smoking therapies like gum, lozenges and Champix.”

“We need massive ways to get as many New Zealanders to be Smokefree as soon as possible. Clinical evidence shows smokers who stop smoking for a month are five times more likely to stay Smokefree and smokers who use nicotine replacement therapy to stop smoking are more likely to stay Smokefree,” Kelly said.

Visit www.stoptober.nz for more information, sign up and get quit-ready in time for 1 October 2105. Alternatively make contact with the people below.

Tauranga/Western Bay Contact Hohepa Maxwell at the Nga Kakano Foundation

Call 0800 KAKANO or email: info@ngakakano.org.nz

Whakatāne/Eastern BayContact Lisa Ranapia at Ngati Awa Social and Health Services

Call 07 306 0096 or email: info@nash.org.nz)

Triple P programme lead Ardell Unsworth says, “Parenting is a tough job and often people don’t know where to turn.”

Free parenting support making happier homesHundreds of local parents are making great changes at home after attending parenting workshops brought to the region by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

Over a thousand parents have taken advantage of the free Triple P Programme, learning effective strategies to help make raising kids easier and family life much less stressful.

“Providers from agencies already working with families have been trained in the Triple P Programme,” says programme lead Ardell Unsworth of Kaitiaki Nursing Services.

“The discussion groups that are part of the programme focus on everyday challenges parents struggle with. Some parents go to one session but many find it so helpful that they go to all four discussion groups offered. The subjects covered deal with disobedience, fighting and aggression, shopping with children and developing good bedtime routines,” says Ardell.

Attending a Triple P discussion group is free to parents and carers of children from three to seven years of age. In addition, one-to-one consultations are

also available for parents who feel they’d benefit from individual help.

“Feedback is very positive and parents are finding it very helpful. Parenting is a tough job and often people don’t know where to turn. Early intervention can make such a big difference and Triple P is so easy to understand you can start using right away. It’s really helping people,” says Ardell.

The discussion groups are held regularly in Tauranga and in some other locations. To find out more parents can go to www.triplep-parenting.net, contact Ardell Unsworth on 027 3112140 or ask their Well Child provider.

Eastern Bay EditionSeptember 2015

From the Chair

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) recently received a letter from the Director General of Health asking us to inform him of our progress towards meeting the Minister’s expectation that all DHBs will ensure no sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) are sold on DHB premises. The BOPDHB has already developed a policy and implementation plan for the provision of healthier food and beverage options including limiting the availability of SSBs. These planned improvements are well underway.

Recently there has been quite a focus on the detrimental impact of SSBs both here in New Zealand and internationally. There is established evidence now that SSBs are strongly implicated in a number of health problems: obesity, type II Diabetes and tooth decay are three health issues that spring straight to mind.

The World Health Organization guideline recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. A further reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams per day would provide additional health benefits – this equates to about six teaspoons for an adult and three teaspoons for a child.

Just one can of soft drink has about nine teaspoons of sugar - three days’ worth of sugar for a child. Yet how often do we see children and adults drinking two or even three cans of soft drink in a day - common isn’t it? Plus it’s not just soft drink that is high in sugar content. Many of the so-called ‘health drinks’ are also very high in sugar such as fruit juices and sports drinks. Clever marketing makes them seem safe for all of us to drink and that’s simply not the case.

The BOPDHB’s vision is ‘Healthy Thriving Communities’. Reducing the amount of SSBs consumed in our community would be an excellent strategy to ensure we move towards achieving this vision. So my challenge to everyone is to take the time to look at the amount of sugar you are drinking every day – be a role model for health and reduce your sugary-drink intake. If we want healthy communities in the future we need healthy children /tamariki now.

Our children are our future – take care of them.

Arohanui

Sally Webb

Chair, Bay of Plenty District Health Board

Sally WebbChair, Bay of Plenty District Health Board

‘Give, Koha me te Aroha’ is the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week 5 -11 October organised by the Mental Health Foundation.

The awareness week is endorsed by the World Federation for Mental Health, encompasses World Mental Health Day on 10 October and marked in over 150 countries.

“Why ‘Give’ you may ask,” says Bay of Plenty District Health Board Mental Health and Addiction Services Quality and Safety Co-ordinator, Chris Angus. “Because it’s good for your health,” he says.

“Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are crucial determinants of our well-being. Helping others can also make you happier. People who volunteer tend to be more satisfied with their lives than those who do not. Time spent volunteering also contributes to a healthy civil society. On average, people in New Zealand spend 13 minutes per day in volunteering activities, the highest in the OECD where the average is 4 minutes per day. Around 69% reported having helped a stranger in the last month, one of the highest scores in the OECD where the average is 49%,” says Chris.

“New Zealanders also rank highly for generosity on the international stage.

In the World Giving Index 2013 which compared data from 135 countries, New Zealand ranked second equal with Canada and Myanmar, with a score of 58%, behind only the US on 61%. The UK ranked sixth and Australia seventh. New Zealand’s ranking reflects high participation in helping a stranger (67% of people), as well as donating money (67%) and volunteering time (40%).”

‘Give’ is one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Nga Ara Rima developed from an extensive study into positive mental wellbeing. The study conducted a review of the most up-to-date evidence and found building five actions into our daily lives is important for the wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and organisations.

These are:

• Give, Koha me te Aroha• Connect, Whakawhanuangatanga• Take Notice, Kia Mataara, Mohiotanga• Keep Learning, Whakatewhatewha• Be Active, Mahi kakamā 5 - 11 October 2015, Whakatāne

Event: Mental Health Hikoi. Cooking classes, give away art exhibition, music, food stalls, poetry readings and random acts of kindness

Contact: Gaye Brandford or Trish Bennett 07 3060154

When: 10.00 am to 2.30 pm, Friday 9 October 2015

Venue: Wharaurangi (The Gap) Pohoturoa Rock Whakatāne Town Centre

“E iti noa ana, nā te aroha – It’s the giving that counts, not the size of the gift.”

Mental Health Awareness Week encourages people to give

How to take part in Mental Health Awareness Week

Good bone health initiative serves Bay residentsEach year around 80,000 New Zealanders will break a bone because of osteoporosis and the majority of them will be women, says Nicola Ward, Specialty Clinical Nurse.

Nicola says, “It’s surprising how many patients arrive at the hospital with a fragility fracture (broken bone) and are identified as being at risk of ongoing fractures due to osteoporosis.”

Nicola is the co-ordinator for the Fracture Prevention Service at Tauranga Hospital along with a specialist geriatrician. The service assesses all patients over 50 years of age with a fragility fracture to promote improved bone health and reduce the risk of further broken bones.

Fragility fractures occur most commonly in the wrist, spine and hips in people aged over 50, usually from a low impact fall (a fall from standing or sitting height) and can indicate poor bone health. A Bone Mineral Density (BMD) scan is used to identify if a person has underlying osteoporosis and once diagnosed the service follows up with bone health education, and if necessary, medication.

“By identifying people at risk who arrive at hospital with a broken bone and treating the osteoporosis we aim to prevent the pain and potential disability of subsequent fractures,” she says.

So far over two hundred patients have been identified as at risk of osteoporosis, with 30% of them requiring BMD scans and education/treatment around bone health.

“Many 50-65 year olds have osteoporosis and require treatment. People often don’t make the link between their fall and broken bone, with osteoporosis. They usually think that it is the fall or landing on the concrete path that broke the bone, rather than questioning whether their bones are becoming less resilient with ageing,” says Nicola.

“You can work on improving your bone health at any age. Four easy changes to your diet and lifestyle will help reduce the risk of osteoporosis developing and potentially prevent broken bones as you age,” Nicola says.

Tauranga Hospital Fracture Prevention Service. From left to right: Geriatrician, Dr Elizabeth Spellacy; Medical Nurse Leader, Sandra Feilding; Fracture Prevention Nurse, Nicola Ward and Clinical Study Co-ordinator, Jennifer Goodson.

Good bone health recommendations

1. Calcium - a good enriched calcium diet helps support strong bones. The recommendation is 1200mg per day for women over 50 years. Dietary sources of calcium include yellow top milk which is calcium enriched, cheese, yoghurt, sardines with bones, broccoli, and nuts.

2. Vitamin D - helps absorb calcium. Vitamin D is absorbed from exposure to sunlight and exposing your arms, hands and face for 10-20 mins per day (out of peak burn times) is recommended. Dietary sources include oily fish, egg yolk and fortified breakfast cereals.

3. Protein - provides the body with essential amino acids to build bone. Protein rich foods include dairy products, meat, fish and lentils.

4. Weightbearing Exercise - walking, running and muscle strengthening exercises provide the best support for your bone strength and also assist with maintaining core body strength to reduce the risk of falling.

World Osteoporosis Day is 20 October 2015.

For more information visit www.bones.org.nz and

www.worldosteoporosisday.org

Stop Sore Throat StudyThe Stop Sore Throats Study is now underway in three schools in the Whakatāne area - a great team effort for our tamariki, says Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance (EBPHA) Rheumatic Fever Clinical Lead Co-ordinator Sandra Ball.

The study is being funded by the EBPHA through its Community Health Innovation Fund and is a joint venture with Te Tohu o Te Ora o Ngati Awa and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board. The study is being led by Dr John Malcolm senior paediatrician Whakatāne Hospital and delivered by nurses Sandra Ball (EBPHA) and Pare O’Brien (Te Tohu o Te Ora o Ngati Awa).

“The aim of the study is to identify if school students who take the Blis oral probiotic for a month reduce their incidence of Group A

strep throat infections over the following months. Group A strep throat infection can, for some people, precede acute Rheumatic Fever,” says Sandra.

School children who participated in the study were offered throat swabs before and after taking Blis lozenges. Children that were found to have Group A strep throat infections were provided with a 10-day course of the appropriate antibiotics through their family doctor. The final round of throat swabbing will occur in November 2016.

The team that undertook the throat swabbing included the experienced Rheumatic Fever prevention community health workers from Kawerau, Opotiki, Murupara and Ngai Tuhoe. Help was also provided by the student nurses (Awanuiarangi) and student doctors (Whakatāne hospital). Two Pathlab staff came to the school and plated the specimens as they were taken.

“The children have commented that they like taking the oral probiotic and described the lozenges as tasting like a strawberry milkshake. One child asked with a twinkle in his eye if we could suggest to the Blis makers to make a crispy-bacon-flavoured lozenge,” says Sandra.

While the oral probiotic is a useful adjunct in Strep throat prevention, if your child has a sore throat seek advice from your family nurse or doctor. Or go to the Rapid Response free Sore Throat Clinic open each week-day after 2:00pm at the Med Central general practice in Kopeopeo.

First year nursing student from Te Whare Wananga o Awnuiarangi Polly Te Pou checks Te Mauri Te Pou’s sub-mandibular lymph glands as part of the Stop Sore Throats Study.

Skin infections are a common cause of admission to hospital. Knowing how to treat skin infections earlier and from home is very important. Common types of skin infections include: infected cuts, scratches and grazes, impetigo (school sores), boils and abscesses, cellulitis, infected eczema, fungal infections including tinea, ringworm and scabies.

Rates of serious skin infections in the Eastern Bay of Plenty are higher than both national and Bay of Plenty rates. Those in the 0 - 4 age group are more likely to experience serious skin infection meaning those youngest and the most vulnerable are at greatest risk.

Evidence shows that education along with provision of products to prevent/treat skin infections is an effective intervention to prevent serious skin infections.

The Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance

health promotion and cellulitis prevention teams are supporting a workshop planned for late October 2015 to provide education around skin infection prevention. The focus group for this workshop is Early Childhood Education Centre staff and parents including Kohanga Reo. Healthy skin packs for 0 - 4 year olds will be delivered at the conclusion of this day.

The BNZ "closed for good" day team made up 900 healthy skin packs full of products and information to prevent serious skin infections. Skin packs included soaps, fabric sticking plasters, antiseptic wipes, a toothbrush, nit comb and nail clippers plus a booklet with handy tips/education around skin infection prevention.

The final workshop date and itinerary will be confirmed and information shared once the key stakeholders have the opportunity to offer input.

Preventing Skin Infections

Making up the healthy skin packs from left to right are: EBPHA’s Sandra Ball BNZ’s Raewynne Blommerde, Polly Hamer and Tracy Emis and EBPHA’s Eleanore McDonald.

Happy and fulfilling lives for its residents are the end result of the sustained excellence shown by one Kawerau rest home.

Mountain View Rest Home was recently presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for Demonstrating Excellence from the Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB). The award recognised the home’s recent 100% certification audit result, which led to a four year certification. The audit also acknowledged five areas of excellence around quality initiatives and it is a performance which puts Mountain View among the very best facilities in the country.

“It was a pleasure to present the team at Mountain View with a CARE certificate for Excellence,” said BOPDHB General Manager Planning and Funding, Simon Everitt. “CARE is the BOPDHB’s values – Compassion, Attitude, Responsiveness and Excellence. This award was made to the Mountain View team in recognition of the outstanding teamwork and commitment to ensuring quality and care of their residents

as reflected in their recent audit results.”

“We were so excited to get four years but to also be awarded five continuous improvements is just amazing,” said Mountain View Manager, Jeanette Crook.

“Our focus has always been on the residents. This great result is merely part of the continuous journey we are on to provide excellent care to the elderly of this small community,” she said.

The community played a part in the Continuous Improvements awarded, with two being for activities relating to community involvement projects. These were the Blokes Shed - run in conjunction with the Alzheimers Society each Wednesday morning - and the weekly play list chosen for the local radio station on Sunday mornings.

Another recognised project was undertaken to assess food costs and quality. All costs were analyzed for 12 months, price comparisons and wastage reviewed and

a budget implemented. The information gained enabled smarter shopping, less wastage and better quality food. Shopping smarter means treats such as “Chinese night” and “Bacon and Egg Saturdays” have been added to the menu, which the residents love.

The Mountain View team has no time to rest on its laurels with a new Staff Wellness programme amongst the projects they have underway.

The programme name Maranga Ake means “stand up, be supportive, be accountable, do what you need to do” – a name they hope will inspire great results in improving the health of their staff and Whanau. Community fitness groups such as KFit and D41 Zumba Fitness, Sports Bay of Plenty and

Ngati Awa Social & Health Services have all agreed to help out.

“I have been so impressed by the readiness of these community groups to support and give their time at little or no cost,” said Marie Roberts, responsible for Special Projects at Mountain View. “Kawerau maybe a small town but it’s got a big heart.”

Excellent audit result leads to recognition for rest home

Each year district health boards are required to prepare an Annual Plan that sets out their work programme for the year and their measures of success.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board’s (BOPDHB’s) 2015/16 Annual Plan demonstrates how we will work together with our healthcare partners to achieve the Board’s vision of Healthy Thriving Communities while also delivering health care closer to home for our population, says BOPDHB Planning and Project Manager, Sharlene Pardy.

“Working as part of an integrated health system is central to our work programme. This means we will continue to look at how we can ensure health care services become more co-ordinated between hospital and community services; that we can help our health professionals share important health information across different health settings; and that we can help our communities improve their understanding of health information. ‘What matters to you and/or your family and whānau?’ is the underpinning approach to how we want to deliver care to our communities,” says Sharlene.

Some of the BOPDHB’s key initiatives for 2015/16 are:

• Continuing to build a more joined up and integrated health care system - we are continuing to expand ways for sharing patient information so health care workers involved in a patient’s care, regardless of the setting, can better support the patient’s journey through the health system.

• Understanding health information – we will develop guidelines, key messages and training for health care workers to help them present health information in

a way that is more easily understood by patients.

• Reducing health inequalities for Māori – we will continue to focus on ‘closing the gap’ so that Māori have the same access to health services and achieve the same health outcomes as non-Māori.

• Continuing to improve our Health Target performance – we have performed well against the government’s health targets for elective surgery and providing advice and support for smokers to quit and have made great inroads with reducing waiting times in our emergency departments. We will continue to focus our efforts on providing faster cancer treatment and providing better diabetes, cardio vascular and immunisation services.

• Protecting our children – we will focus on better outcomes for our most at-risk children by bringing together professionals from health, education, welfare and social service agencies to form a Children’s Team to support vulnerable children. We are progressing this initiative in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Among other things, the team will ensure one personalised plan will be developed for each child and their family or whānau.

• Better outcomes for our young people – with a particular focus on Kawerau and Whakatāne, we will work with other government agencies to engage with the community to manage and influence social services to help lower youth crime, alcohol and drug consumption and truancy.

You will find a copy of the BOPDHB’s 2015/16 Annual Plan on the home page of our website under Media and Publications ( www.bopdhb.govt.nz).

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board’s Addiction Service (BOPAS), has developed an electronic case management tool which has not only proven to be successful but has received a Matua Raki Innovation Award.

Matua Raki ( http://www.matuaraki.org.nz) is the national centre for addiction workforce development in New Zealand.

BOPAS Clinical Team Leader, Paula Abbey, said the electronic case management tool was developed in 2014 and the award is reflective of the team’s contribution and support.

She said the aim of the tool is to present up-to-date information about key aspects of case management. The management of BOPAS clients is complex for several reasons as many of them have Co-Existing Problems (CEP) or dual diagnosis: the co-existence of substance use and mental

health problems within an individual or Tangata Whaiora.

By using the electronic tool, BOPAS has found that it has increased access to services, increased team performance and provided a platform for responsive clinical care to the most complex addiction and CEP clients.

“We have also found that clinical oversight of the service has improved, clinicians are working in collaboration, the clinical team has a greater understanding of clients of concern within the service and there is a more collective and responsive approach regarding the care provided to the BOPAS clients,” says Paula.

A new way of contacting us about hospital appointments has been set up on our website: www.bopdhb.govt.nz.

“This means that if you want to confirm or change an appointment, or get a message to us about a hospital appointment, it is now just a couple of clicks away,” said the Bay of Plenty District Health Board’s (BOPDHB’s) Service Improvement Unit Programme Manager, Jen Boryer.

“Just go to the BOPDHB’s webpage and click on ‘Contact Us’ which will you

find in a prominent position on the homepage. This will take you to an online form which you simply fill in. You are able to leave a message and your details so that we can get back to you easily and quickly. Once completed, your message will be emailed through to us.

“We hope this offers an easy way for you to keep us up-to-date with your plans about attending appointments so we can make changes if required.”

BOPDHB Annual Plan

BOPAS Clinical Lead Sally Whitelaw holding the Matua Raki Innovation award for BOPAS’s successful development of an electronic case management tool.

BOP AddictionService wins innovationaward

Contact Us about Hospital Appointments

Update Your DetailsIf you have moved house or changed your GP recently

its important you let us know your new details. You can also do this through the

Contact Us page, in person when you next visit or by calling 07 579 8000.