HEARTBEAT Ballarat is looking for donations of scales to help prevent heart failure emergencies and ease pressure on hospitals.<\/p>\n
Their aim is to collect 100 scales in 100 days, with 10 scales already donated on the first day of the campaign which was last Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The organisation is looking for digital body scales such as the Brilliant Basics Digital Bathroom Scale from Big W, the Electronic Glass Scale from Target, or the Slimline Glass Digital Bathroom Scale from Kmart.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeart failure patients take a drug called Lasix which controls fluid and they weigh and record their weight so their cardiac nurse can adjust the medication,\u201d said Heartbeat Ballarat member Barry Nixon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt prevents rehospitalisation and heart failure patients becoming seriously unwell.\u201d<\/p>\n
The same campaign was conducted earlier this year, but Grampians Health contacted Heartbeat Ballarat to say they have already exhausted the supply.<\/p>\n
Mr Nixon said it\u2019s essential there are scales available to the vulnerable to decrease the burden on the healthcare system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a number of patients who live remotely, are elderly or really unwell and don\u2019t have families who can shop for them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese scales reduce the burden on the health system because it prevents hospital readmissions as the patient doesn\u2019t become seriously unwell by fluid retention.\u201d<\/p>\n
To donate a set of scales contact Mr Nixon on 0447 377 159<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HEARTBEAT Ballarat is looking for donations of scales to help prevent heart failure emergencies and ease pressure on hospitals. Their aim is to collect 100 scales in 100 days, with 10 scales already donated on the first day of the campaign which was last Tuesday. The organisation is looking for digital body scales such as […]<\/p>\n