Welcome to the Bluff Road Bulletin!
With COVID boosters and under 12 vaccinations underway at the clinic, we are hopeful that 2022 will be a better, more normal year filled with fun, family and friends. With the weather improving and as we enjoy our freedom again it is important to remember that Australia has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world. Long term exposure to even modest amounts of UV rays can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. The well-known Cancer Council’s slogan of Slip, Slop, Slap has been around for decades and since 2007 has even been updated to include two more messages of “Seek” shade and “Slide” on some sunglasses. But what else can you do?
The answer is Early Detection. It is important to have a regular skin check to look at the level of sun damage and signs of early skin cancer. You will have noticed the construction works that have been happening at the clinic during 2021 and part of this extension includes the launch of our UV Skin Cancer Clinic. We are fortunate to have an experienced team of over 10 GPs who have been taking caring of patients since 2006 using state of the art technology for Total Body Mapping within our clinic. These images can be used for future reference at follow up visits to monitor any changes and to better detect early skin cancers.
With the hotter days of summer upon us, it is the key time when we all put away our long coats and thermals, instead swapping to shorts and summer dresses, it is an ideal time to book in for your skin check. This is important not just if you have a suspicious mole, but also to get some advice from our knowledgeable GPs about how your skin is doing.
If you want to read more, please head to the website, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or keep an eye out for our staff spotlight blog.
AFL Footy Tipping Competition
The season is starting soon and this year we have decided to run a Tipping Competition with 40% of proceeds going to a local charity.
There will still be prizes for first, second and third place.
Register your interest now so you don’t miss out!
Register Your Interest
Unpacking Coronavirus Fears with School Starting
The past two years have been tumultuous for our children. The difficulties may have been starting school for the first time or transitioning into a new school, remote learning, or simply needing to find new and creative ways to learn music or do PE. We have also seen a lot of kids ‘missing out’ whether it was their first camp, excursion, life challenge or experience and formal or graduation.
This year, as schools begin to open,your child may experience a range of feelings. As you navigate this time, we encourage you to be prepared to have an open and curious conversation with them. UNICEF Australia has some tips on ways to help support your child returning to school:
- Be positive about returning to school: sit down and ask them how they are feeling, listen to their concerns and remind them of the positives (seeing their friends, learning new things). If they are feeling worried or nervous then help them understand that this is normal and you (as well as their teachers) are here for support.
- Prepare them for change: explain that schools may have changed their Covid safe strategies according to changing health and education guidelines. Find out what these are and talk them through with your child. It could mean wearing face masks for the first time and reinforcing hand washing/sanitising or sneezing/coughing into their elbows. It is important to emphasise that these measures are to keep them, their classmates and teachers safe.
- Re-establish routines: especially in the week before school starts, it is important to get them back into a routine of waking, sleeping and eating. Set aside time to go through checks of stationery/ textbooks and uniforms (they may have actually grown since they last had to wear their uniform!)
- Once school commences, try to set aside time at the end of the day to come together as a family and talk about their day. Ask them how they felt and what they enjoyed. Look out for signs of stress or anxiety – anger, agitation, sadness and if you are concerned seek support from the school or talk through your concerns with your GP.
Despite the challenges of Covid Lockdown, one of the great positives has been that many children have become used to the extra family time together. So, try to continue to keep up a regular family time together and help to promote their sense of belonging, safety and identity. After all, children tend to grow up far quicker than our sense of time passing! so make the most of the time you have together.
We Value Your Feedback
We are committed to continuously improving your experience and value your comments. To help us understand and improve your care we ask if you could please complete a short online survey. You can either scan the QR code or click here
Introducing A Performance Reset
As we slowly but surely settle into 2022, a lot of us have vowed to start the New Year with our best foot forward. With a fresh perspective on the importance of your health, how about: a “New Year, New Me”, where you strive to be the fittest, healthiest version of yourself?
Bluff Road Medical has a history of providing a range of complementary medical services to General Practice; from clinical psychology, travel medicine, diabetes education and skin cancer medicine. In 2022, we are proud to announce an expansion into the fitness and wellness space with Medical High Performance (MedHP). This space further ensures that you have access to an integrated medical hub where all of your primary health needs are met to support your journey to becoming the “New You”. Whether that is to finally address your chronic pain from a physiological level, lengthen your golf drive, or simply shed some ISO and Christmas weight, MedHP offers a holistic and person-centred approach to meet your individual needs.
At MedHP, our mission is to address the realistic impacts of ageing on the body, whist providing you with an inclusive, educational and welcoming support network to guide you through healthy ageing. Science tells us that people who regularly exercise live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life, but there is little acknowledgment of how tough it can be to build sustainable, healthy new habits. The older we get, the more difficult this becomes.
MedHP’s team of highly qualified Exercise Physiologists will offer a tailored program, specific to your needs and goals along with state-of the-art equipment designed to target all areas of your body, far beyond that of day-to-day activities. This program will also include a full orientation of the medical gym equipment so that you can safely exercise with peace of mind and is followed up with a progress check in at 6 to 8 weeks.
It can be daunting signing up to something new, but one thing we can promise you at MedHP is that you won’t be braving it alone. You will meet a community of like-minded people, each on their own individual fitness journey, all within a 2-minute drive from Bluff Road Medical.
Like to know more?
To arrange a tour or find out about becoming a member, get in touch either by calling 1300 8 MEDHP
or email admin@medhp.com.au
You can also register your interest via the website.