NURSE practitioner at Bendigo Community Health Services Peter Strange wants to stop men from dying early.<\/p>\n
Last Thursday, Mr Strange visited McKern Steel, a company with approximately 75 per cent male employees, to discuss how men can look after their health from lowering cholesterol to spotting signs of mental health issues.<\/p>\n
Mr Strange said his outreach services allows him to visit men in the workplace, where they may be more comfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you chat to 20 guys and you do it right, you\u2019ll get four or five guys coming in and accessing the service,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about going out and meeting guys, especially in their place.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always say if they meet the clinician then they\u2019re more likely to turn up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a stubbornness or reluctance for men to actually initiate that contact, so workplaces are great, it\u2019s in their environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Strange runs the men\u2019s health clinic at BCHS and said males can often wait too long to visit a clinician or doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cMen seem to be independent and try to deal with their situations themselves, and that\u2019s a strength; we can be a strong person in that way, but it can be a detriment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI often see, if a guy comes in for an annual check-up, it\u2019s booked in by his missus and she can see that he needs care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last Friday was International Men\u2019s Health Day, and according to the State Government\u2019s Department of Health, men are more likely to get sick from a serious health problem than women.<\/p>\n
Men visit the doctor less frequently, and often only attend when an illness is in its later stages.<\/p>\n
The top 10 causes of premature death in men include heart disease, lung cancer, dementia, blood and respiratory diseases.<\/p>\n
McKern Steel have also joined in the cause raising money and awareness for mental health through Movember, with Chief Operations Officer Joe McKern leading the campaign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NURSE practitioner at Bendigo Community Health Services Peter Strange wants to stop men from dying early. Last Thursday, Mr Strange visited McKern Steel, a company with approximately 75 per cent male employees, to discuss how men can look after their health from lowering cholesterol to spotting signs of mental health issues. Mr Strange said his […]<\/p>\n