alllied health

allied health – 5352 9327

Our Allied Health Team provides services from a range of locations within Ararat Rural City including from the EGHS Community Health Centre, outreach clinics at Willaura, Elmhurst, Lake Bolac and Halls Gap, home visits, telehealth appointments and within EGHS Acute and Residential Services. Services may be individual or in group settings.

Our Allied Health Team provides services from a range of locations within Ararat Rural City including from the EGHS Community Health Centre, outreach clinics at Willaura, Elmhurst, Lake Bolac and Halls Gap, home visits, telehealth appointments and within EGHS Acute and Residential Services.

Services include

Diabetes Education

Diabetes Educators are healthcare professionals dedicated to providing personalised education and support to individuals and their families managing diabetes. We focus on empowering our clients, helping them navigate daily self-care and improving their overall well-being.

At East Grampians Health Service we are here for anyone living with diabetes, whether it’s pre-diabetes, type1, type 2, or gestational diabetes. Our team offer expert guidance and tailored advice to help you maintain optimal health, including:

1. Understanding the effects of diabetes on your body, how medications work, and what influences your blood glucose levels.
2. Learning how to monitor your blood glucose, as well as techniques for administering non-insulin injectable medications or insulin, when needed.
3. Assistance with advance technology, such as getting started with continuous glucose monitoring.

Dietetics

Dietitians can work with you to manage your health and wellbeing through food. They can assist and discuss with you how food influences health and wellbeing and collaborate with you in making long-term and sustainable changes to your lifestyle.

 Some of the health conditions that dietitians can assist with include:

• High blood pressure 
• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes                          
• Heart Disease                                                              
• Weight concerns
• Body Image                                                    
• Food Intolerances and allergies
• Infant and childhood nutrition

Exercise Physiology

Exercise Physiologists help individuals of all ages and backgrounds use exercise to manage acute conditions or chronic disease to achieve personal, physical/functional goals. Individual consultations are available as well as the transition into one of the specialised exercise groups available within the service.

EGHS has a well-equipped gym and utilises the pool and gym and the Ararat Fitness Centre for classes as appropriate.

Group Programs

We offer a range of programs and supervised exercise classes designed to support health, recovery, and well-being. Our programs cater to individuals managing chronic conditions, recovering from illness or surgery, or simply looking to improve their fitness in a safe and supportive environment. Led by experienced exercise physiologists and physiotherapists, our classes are tailored to help individuals achieve their personal health goals, including improving strength, balance, cardiovascular health, and overall functional movement.

Exercise programs include cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, falls prevention, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis management, hydrotherapy, cancer recovery, neurological rehabilitation, and general fitness sessions. Additionally, we offer exercise classes in Elmhurst, Lake Bolac, and Willaura to ensure accessibility for our broader community.

A medical referral is required for entry into some rehabilitation classes.

Health Promotion

Health promotion aims to improve health and wellbeing by developing and implementing prevention strategies in collaboration with community. We work to prevent health conditions before they occur by improving the environments in which we live, work and play.

Our key priorities are:

• Increasing healthy eating and oral health
• Increasing active living
• Reducing harm from tobacco and e-cigarettes.

We partner with a range of organisations throughout the Ararat Rural City Council Local Government Ararat to deliver health programs and important health messages. This includes working with kindergartens, schools, workplaces, volunteer organisations, sporting clubs and other community groups

 Free support is provided for:

• Education sessions for your school or organisation
• Skill development sessions
• Health messaging and awareness campaigns
• Community events
• Health resources
• Health policy development and review.

All Allied Health and Community Services staff work together as an integrated multidisciplinary team providing a high level of service coordination for clients , easing their navigation of the health system.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists assist people of all ages in enabling them to do their day-to-day activities that may be affected by an illness or injury. This can include home modifications, equipment, strategies or other interventions.  Occupational Therapists will also assist with assessment and intervention of children having difficulties with tasks such as toileting, play or behaviour.

Occupational Therapists provide a service to community adults often in their own home. Paediatric community clients, inpatients and residents in EGHS residential aged care facilities are also part of this service. 

Occupational Therapy services include:

Adults

• Preoperative assessments
• Home safety assessment and modifications
• Pressure care education and equipment trials
• Equipment assessments and hire
• Energy conservation education
• Assessment and reporting to access NDIS

Paediatrics(children)

• Sensory assessment and intervention
• Fine motor skills assessment and interventions
• Handwriting programs
• Emotional regulations consolidation and group work
• Education of toileting and other daily activities for children
• Assessment and reporting to access NDIS

Physiotherapy

The EGHS physiotherapists assist in the diagnosis and management of neuromuscular disorders providing manual therapy, exercise, education and advice to clients of all ages. They aim to guide clients to prevent or manage acute, subacute or chronic disease or injury, with the overarching goal to assist in restoring optimal physical function health and wellness.

This works spans across the EGHS inpatient unit, community clients at the Ararat and Willaura campuses and Lake Bolac and Elmhurst Bush Nursing Centres, and the EGHS residential aged care facilities.

Physiotherapy staff also work closely with the exercise physiologists in providing specialised exercise classes

Podiatry

Podiatrists focus on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the feet, ankles and lower limbs. The podiatry service is available to clients who have a condition that places their lower limb at risk of complications, have a significant foot problem of a foot problem that affects their gait and mobility.

These problems include

• Foot pressure areas
• Wounds and infections on feet and toes
• Foot problems that affect walking, running or doing activities at work for all ages
• Foot problems for conditions like diabetes, kidney failure, arthritis, cancer, circulation or nerve problems
• Shoes and orthotic issues
• Corns and callouses
• Deformities the need long term rehabilitation using cast, insoles, pads or braces
• Ingrown toenails and need surgery or bracing

Due to demand, the podiatry service is unable to provide access for clients who require general nail cutting of healthy feet.

Social Work

At EGHS Social Work provides a service to assist people to address personal difficulties in their lives through one-to-one counselling, advocacy and support. Care is delivered either face to face, via phone or telehealth.

 Clients can access this service directly by contacting EGHS CHC or through a referral from a GP, health professional, family member/friend

The Social Work service spans the inpatient unit, community and EGHS residential aged care.

Speech Pathology

The Speech Pathology service has a focus on preschool children and adults. School aged children are generally provided with a service from the Department of Education

 The EGHS service includes:

• Speech and language production
• Swallowing difficulties
• Stuttering and voice issues.

Additional Information

Open: Monday-Friday 8.30-5pm

Phone:  5352 9327

Disciplines accepting self-referrals OR medical/health professional referrals:

• Diabetes Education, Dietetics
• Exercise Physiology
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Social Work
• Speech Pathology

Disciplines requiring a medical/other health professional referral:

• Podiatry

Access

Clients with a Home Care Package, pension card, health care card or non-concessional clients can all access our service.

EGHS is not a registered NDIS provider for Community Clients