Auxiliary funds new beds to prevent patient falls

BALLINA Hospital Auxiliary has secured six new low beds worth just over $60,000 to help dementia patients and others at risk of falls that can cause serious injuries.

The beds are now in use in the general ward of Ballina District Hospital and provide extra safety through their low height and built-in alarms.

“Up until now I know a lot of nursing homes lay mattresses around the beds to prevent the impact of these falls,” Ballina Hospital Auxiliary president Lexi Stacey said.

“That makes it very difficult to nurse people around that, and these beds are fantastic with how low they get to the ground.

“They also have alarms that let staff know when a patient has fallen, so I think they’ll be vital pieces of equipment.”

The Ballina group is affiliated with the United Hospital Auxiliaries of New South Wales and has members who are second and third generation, some of whom have been part of the group for more than 20 years.

“Our sole purpose is to provide equipment for the benefit of patients in the hospital,” Stacey said.

“To us a hospital isn’t about the building, it’s the people in it.”

The auxiliary provides medical equipment, patient comfort items and general healthcare supplies. It runs an on-site kiosk at Ballina Hospital and raises money through craft stalls, market days and other events throughout the year.

It also partners with bingo and other social events at Plateau Bowling Club in Alstonville.

The group’s next major purchases include nine new wheelchairs to support patients in rehabilitation after amputations and other operations. It also plans to fund a hospital sensory room to create a calm space for palliative care patients and their families.

“One of the essential things we need in Ballina is an area for people who have just lost someone,” Stacey said.

“There is nowhere to immediately start the grieving process how it is now — you’re in the corridors of the hospital and it’s not nice.

“The best thing about all the auxiliaries in the region is we retain our money to go back into our own hospitals.”