Children’s health Archives | Page 6 of 12

22 February 2024

The Wests Tigers Foundation Beyond the 80 (BT80) program is a free 10-week healthy lifestyle initiative supported by SWSPHN and developed by the Wests Tigers Rugby League Football Club and Western Sydney University.

The BT80 program is a community-driven initiative focused on promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among young girls aged seven to 11 and their families in Western Sydney. The program’s ultimate goal is to create a supportive and empowering environment which fosters positive health outcomes and builds a stronger and healthier community.

Wests Tigers Community Team Lead Kenneth Tuala said: “Together, we aim to inspire young females and their families, fostering healthy lifestyles through engaging workshops”.

BT80 offers specialised training and activities which aim to strengthen rugby league skills while promoting healthy lifestyle habits.

“It’s more than just rugby league; it’s about building a healthier, stronger community extending well beyond the 80 minutes on the field,” Tuala said.

The BT80 program will commence with an orientation day on Monday, 9 March, where family measurements will be taken. The program’s activities and training will then begin on 20 March and run for 10 weeks every Wednesday from 6pm to 7.30pm at Western Sydney University’s Campbelltown Campus.

To register for BT80, you must:

have at least one daughter aged seven to 11 willing to participate in BT80
at least one parent willing to participate in BT80
reside in Western Sydney

Spaces are limited; register your interest

Find out more on the Wests Tigers website

21 February 2024

The COVID-19 lockdowns have resulted in a cohort of children whose development is delayed.

Young children have had limited access to social interactions and early learning environments during the critical period of their brain development, which has both created and compounded existing developmental delays.

Due to this, the need for early intervention is the highest it’s ever been.

The importance of early intervention

Early intervention is linked with positive outcomes for children.

It can positively impact all aspects of development, including social, physical, communication, cognitive and psychological development.

Referrals: where and how

Early referral to intervention services is crucial in maximising outcomes.

It is more important than ever to refer early as the COVID-19 lockdowns have increased waiting times in both public and private services.

Please consider referring to both public and private services (using Medicare rebate options) so families are offered supports in the timeliest manner.

Download where and how to refer

This article was written by members of the ‘Stronger Seeds, Taller Trees’ project which includes professionals from a number of government and non-government organisations in South Western Sydney. The group aims to support GPs working with families to navigate and access timely services when they have a concern about a child’s development.

24 January 2024

The Go4Fun healthy lifestyle program for families and children aged seven to 13 is returning with sessions across South Western Sydney in Term 1, from Monday, 29 January 2024.

Locations include:

Cabramatta Community Centre
Bankstown PCYC
Moss Vale Aquatic Centre
Eagle Vale Leisure Centre
Michael Clarke Recreation Centre
Mt Annan Leisure Centre

You can register by phoning 1800 780 900 or visiting go4fun.com.au.

What is Go4Fun?

Go4Fun is a free program for children aged seven to 13 who are above a healthy weight, and their families. Trained health and community professionals like dietitians and exercise physiologists run the program which is a fun way to build self-esteem and learn about eating well, staying active and living a healthy life.

Go4Fun takes place during school terms, usually after school. Sessions run once a week for two hours, during a 10-week period. A parent or carer must come to every session.

Find out more about what's involved

Aboriginal Go4Fun

Aboriginal Go4Fun was developed in partnership with Aboriginal communities and is delivered by local Aboriginal organisations together with NSW Health. The program encourages the whole community to join in.

Aboriginal Go4Fun includes:

Aboriginal support staff
Traditional Indigenous games
Tailored resources

Find out more about Aboriginal Go4Fun

Go4Fun online

Go4Fun Online is perfect for families that can’t make it to our face-to-face program, but still want to make health changes to their lifestyle.

Go4Fun Online runs over 10 weeks and includes:

Weekly online activity sessions
Weekly phone coaching with a health professional
Resources and prizes
Our online community where you can chat to other families in the program
Email and text message support

Find out more about Go4Fun online

16 November 2023

Eligible patients can now apply online for the Continence Aids Payment Scheme (CAPS).

CAPS is an Australian Government program which helps people over five years old who experience permanent and severe incontinence to cover some of the costs of buying continence products.

The new online application is available through the individual’s Medicare account on myGov or in the Express Plus Medicare mobile app.

Patients still have the option to use the existing CAPS application guidelines and application form, which can be downloaded or ordered from the Department of Health and Aged Care.

If someone else is applying on behalf of a patient, their representative must use the paper form.

Even if a patient applies online, they still need a registered health professional (such as a GP) to complete the health report section using the paper form.

The patient will then need to upload the report to their online application through their Medicare online account.

Please inform your eligible patients of the new online application process.

More information can be found at www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/caps and the department’s website.

21 September 2023

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children experience some of the highest rates of Otitis Media and associated hearing loss in the world.

Otitis Media is commonly known as ‘glue ear’ in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Left untreated, these conditions are directly linked to serious and long-term deficits. These include poor medical health, delayed communication and social skill development, challenging behaviour and learning difficulties.

With the COVID-19 lockdowns behind us, now is the time to complete crucial checks for children including:

regular ear checks
hearing assessments
onward referrals to ENTs / audiologists

Information for families

20 September 2023

This week has been a timely reminder extreme heat can have a serious impact on people’s health.

Heatwaves and hot weather have killed more people in Australia than any other disaster.

Extreme heat can be dangerous for anyone, however it is particularly dangerous for those:

over the age of 75
babies and young children
overweight or obese
pregnant or breastfeeding
poor mobility
who are homeless
socially isolated, living alone
working in a hot environment
have a chronic illness (such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, mental illness)
have an acute illness (an infection with fever or gastroenteritis)
taking certain medications

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency.

It occurs when the body temperature rises about 40.5 degrees.

Immediate first aid is critical to lowering the body temperature as soon as possible.

The effect of heat on chronic conditions

Most heat-related morbidity and mortality is due to the exacerbation of chronic conditions.

Conditions which most commonly contribute to death during a heatwave include:

cardiac events
asthma or other respiratory illness
kidney disease
diabetes
nervous system diseases
cancer

Dehydration and subsequent medication toxicity may exacerbate:

altered mental state
kidney stones
cardiovascular impairment
falls

Heat and medication

Some medications can increase the risk of heat-related illness. Some can also be less effective when exposed to high temperatures.

The following medications can be impacted by heat. (This list should be used as a guide only)

Interference with sweating, caused by:

anticholinergics, for example tricyclic antidepressants and benztropine
beta blockers
antihistamines
phenothiazines
vasoconstrictors

Interference with thermoregulation, caused by:

antipsychotics or neuroleptics, for example risperidone, clozapine, olanzapine
serotoninergic agonists
stimulants, for example amphetamine, cocaine
thyroxin

Decreased thirst, caused by:

butyrophenone, for example haloperidol and droperidol
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

Dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, caused by:

diuretics, especially loop diuretics
any drug causing diarrhoea or vomiting, for example colchicines, antibiotics, codeine
alcohol

Reduced renal function, caused by:

NSAIDS
sulphonamides
indinavir
cyclosporine

Aggravation of heat illness by worsening hypotension, caused by:

vasodilators, for example nitrates (GTN) and calcium channel blockers
anti-hypertensives

Levels of drug affected by dehydration (possible toxicity for drugs with a narrow therapeutic index), caused by:

digoxin
lithium
warfarin
antiepileptics
biguanides, for example metformin
statins
altered state of alertness, caused by any drugs which alter the state of alertness, for example alcohol, benzodiazepine and narcotics

Resources to help you prepare for heatwaves

At-risk community members can prepare for heatwaves and heatstroke using the resources below:

Heatstroke – Health Resource Directory

Preparing for a heatwave – Health Resource Directory

Healthcare providers can find more information at:

Beat the heat (nsw.gov.au)

14 September 2023

SWSPHN’s Disaster Management team will be sharing information about the importance of healthcare during a disaster or emergency, at the Wollondilly Emergency Services Expo on Saturday, 23 September.

The event will be held from 10am to 2pm at Victoria Park, Picton.

Representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire & Rescue NSW, NSW SES, NSW Ambulance and the NSW Police Force will also attend the expo.

Our Disaster Management team will be holding a stall to provide community members with information about how to best prepare their health for a disaster.

They will also be distributing a flyer highlighting the five simple steps to follow to ensure your health and wellbeing can be prioritised during disaster.

The flyer, which provides practical advice about preparing your health for disaster as well as information about access to services, will also be available at:

Emergency Ready Day, Sunday, 24 September, 11am to 3pm, Koshigaya Park, Campbelltown
Community Links Wellbeing Festival of Fun, Sunday, 26 November, 10am to 2pm, Bargo Sports Ground

During an emergency, PHNs are the first points of contact on primary healthcare coordination and service availability, as part of the overall coordinated health response.

Health outcomes for our community can be greatly improved and enhanced when we prepare and respond to emergencies together.

17 August 2023

Fussy eating can lead to stressful and prolonged mealtimes, delayed oro-motor skills, and poor health outcomes including nutrient deficiencies (eg iron), slow growth and constipation.

Early intervention is required when fussy eating is caused by sensory sensitivities with food textures, or when it leads to highly restricted diets (less than 15 to 20 different foods) or challenging behaviours at mealtimes.

Children may require referral to speech pathology and/or occupational therapy.

When and how to refer

Mealtime strategies

Set up routines – Serve food at the same time and in the same place each day.
Create an engaging mealtime environment – Remove distractions (eg screens, toys) and share meals together as a family to model positive mealtime behaviours like trying new foods.
Encourage food exploration and play – Participate together in food preparation and play games with food like sorting by colour or texture, or building houses.

Start Them Right: A parent’s guide to eating for under 5s

07 August 2023

State-wide Referral Criteria (SRC) are clinical decision-support tools which give health professionals the referral criteria they need to refer their patients to public specialist outpatient services across NSW.

SRC helps people who need to see a health professional in a NSW public specialist outpatient service be referred and prioritised in a safe and timely way.

They support patients and the health professionals looking after them to make a referral and assist NSW public specialist outpatient services with screening and triaging these referrals.

Please visit the NSW Health website for more information.

07 August 2023

In recognition of Mental Health month this October, SWS Local Health District will be hosting a creative project competition for school-aged children in South Western Sydney.

Students are asked to create an artwork which highlights ones or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing:

Connect
Be Active
Take Notice
Keep Learning
Give

The winning artwork will be displayed online to promote Mental health month and raise awareness of the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Entries open Monday, 10 August 2023 and close Monday, 16 October 2023 —Term 4, Week 2

Five Ways Schools Creative Project 2023 – entry information