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Advantages of Using a Day Hospital

In South Africa, overcrowded hospitals and overworked staff members is an issue that many facilities have had to deal with and the need to expand and diversify healthcare options has become more evident. Since the early 2000s, the accessibility and capabilities of day hospitals have greatly increased worldwide. The demand for day hospitals has also intensified internationally as the public becomes more aware of the benefits of these facilities. 

So what makes a day hospital different?

Lower Cost:

In most businesses, you are stuck with the same set of rules: Your income has to outweigh your spending to stay afloat. Hospitals are no exception to this rule, but many of the costs associated with running an acute facility, such as overtime pay for staff and overnight facilities, are not present at a day hospital. The costs that an acute facility incurs from its increased operating hours, and often its large premises, are therefore eliminated. This allows day hospitals to decrease their overall spending, which enables them to perform the same procedure on a patient for a reduced price. Certain procedures can cost up to 28% less in a day hospital than they would have in an acute facility. 

Well Equipped and Reduced Risk of Infection:

A recent study that was done abroad found that around 70% of surgical procedures conducted in an acute facility can be performed at a day hospital. The facilities within a day hospital are oftentimes more advanced as they can invest more into specific facilities. The quality of care provided is something that is also brought into question. Numerous studies have shown that one of the biggest risks posed to a hospital patient is the hospital itself. In large, densely occupied hospitals, the risk of infection from another patient is too high to ignore. In contrast, day hospitals are able to provide a safer, more sterile environment to their patients by reducing the amount of time that patients spend at the hospital, as well as patients’ proximity to one another. 

More Convenient:

We have grown accustomed to medical procedures being tiresome, arduous endeavours that take up a great deal of time. This is largely due to the overbooked schedules of hospitals and their surgeons. Every person who has been to an acute care facility can recall an instance when they were left waiting in a room an hour after they had arrived for their appointment. This is where day hospitals truly stand out. With many day hospitals providing the option to schedule a procedure online, the process has been streamlined to provide patients with efficient and convenient access to services. Less uncertainty means that these facilities can better plan and predict their daily schedules.

In the end, every patient will have their own story to tell about their experience. The hope is that the trend towards more affordable care for all will keep growing. Contact Centurion Day Hospital to take advantage of all the benefits our facility has to offer! Book a consultation today to discuss your options with one of our dedicated staff members.

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News

Smilelab Dental Centre

We are very excited to welcome Smilelab Dental Centre, to Centurion Day Hospital! They will be opening a new branch here on our hospital premises very soon.

Dr Natalie Constantinides (dentist) says: “At SmileLab we aim to provide our patients with dental health care of a high standard in a relaxing and pleasant environment. We take ‘patient care’ very seriously and strive to treat our patients in a way that they feel truly cared for; not only by providing them with excellent dental care but we’d like our patients to know that we always have their best interests at heart as well.” 

SmileLab’s friendly staff pride themselves on taking the time to engage and interact with their patients to ensure they really are provided with the best experience one can have at the dentist!
“We are a family friendly practice and enjoy working with children and all members of the family, young and old, “said dr Natalie. SmileLab Dental Centre strives to ensure healthy, happy patients with beautiful smiles.

SmileLab’s address: Suite 2B, Centurion Day Hospital, 192A Glover ave, Lyttelton.

For appointments – email request to: centurion@smilelab.co.za

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News

MediNews: Free hearing test app launched for World Hearing Day

More than three million South Africans suffer from permanent, disabling hearing loss. Some might not even be aware of this. Until now. Anyone in South Africa with access to a smart phone and a set of headphones, can now test their own hearing with a clinically valid hearing test app, hearZA™. This proudly SA app was developed and validated by researchers at the University of Pretoria. It is available to download on both the Android and iOS operating systems free of charge. This service has the vision to impact the 1.2 billion globally who suffer hearing difficulties through affordable access and linkage to hearing health. 

Follow these few simple steps to better hearing:

  1. SIMPLE & EASY-TO-USE
    Download the app free of charge on all Android & iOS smartphones and use any headphone set.
  2. DO THE 2 MINUTE TEST
    You will receive your test results immediately after the hearing screening of only 2 minutes. The results will be reported to you on your smartphone and can be viewed on your profile as well.
  3. RECEIVE ACCURATE RESULTS
    The app was developed and clinically validated by the University of Pretoria
  4. KEEP SCORE
    You can keep track of your hearing score. If your results from the hearZA™ indicates a score below normal you should make an appointment for a hearing evaluation at a certified hearing healthcare provider.
  5. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
    The app will link users diagnosed with a hearing problem to their closest hearing healthcare providers, based on geolocation through their smart phones.
  6. CHALLENGE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
    Challenge your friends and family with the hashtag #CanYouHearThat challenge and make them aware of the free service.

The theme for World Hearing Day 2017 is “Action for hearing loss: make a sound investment” draws attention to the economic impact of hearing loss.
#WorldHearingDay2017 #CanYouHearThat

Read more:
http://www.hearscreen.com/
http://www.up.ac.za/en/news/post_2240924-free-hearing-test-with-local-app-hearza

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News

MediNews: Top tips on how to keep active in the office

We all sit too much. So much that it’s beginning to affect our health. Try these tips to get moving every day to counteract the risks of too much sitting.

Phenomenal advances in technology have made our lives much easier. We can do banking on our cell phones, order food to be delivered to us, communicate to anyone, anywhere from our phone or computer.

However, the side-effect of this is that we now move less. We sit – a lot. For long periods of time.
We drive to work. Sit at a computer all day. Drive home. Sit in front of the TV. Then go to bed. Our physical activity levels have dropped dramatically and research is starting to show the alarming effect this is having on our long-term health.

Studies are even showing that even for people who fit in an hour of exercise a day, if the rest of their day is spent sitting for long periods, their metabolic health is still compromised.
There is much research indicating that ‘sitting time, TV time, and time sitting in automobiles increases premature mortality risk’. Meaning that sitting too much could quite literally be killing you. 

So how do we counteract this when our lifestyles have evolved to the point where we work more than we play? The answer is simply to move – move more and move often. Even if you’re a busy executive with no time for actual exercise. You just need to get a bit creative.

1. Challenge your colleagues: Put technology to good use and use a smart watch or activity tracker to track your daily steps and aim for 10 000 steps a day. Start a friendly competition with your work colleages to track your steps and see who can walk the most in a day, or arrange group walks at lunchtime. Link this to your medical aid and earn active rewards at the same time.

2. Walk and talk: Boardroom meetings are notoriously long and boring, so why not take a meeting for a walk. Even if you don’t leave the building, walk and talk. Apart from the benefit you’ll get from the added movement to your day, the exercise may even spur on some fresh ideas.

3. Stand and work:  If your work environment allows, try prop up your computer on a stand or a higher desk so you have to stand at your desk rather than sitting. Take it one step further and set up your computer on a treadmill set at a low speed and move while you work.

4. Take a break: Set a timer to go off every 30 minutes and make a point of standing up. Even if it’s just to stretch a bit, or to take a walk around the office.  Download an app to remind you, there are many different ones to try including F.lux and Awareness or even Posture Man Pat which monitors your posture through your webcam.

5. Loo workout: Everyone has to go to the loo sometime, so make it your active break time. Take the long route to the loo via the stairs and do 10 squats and 10 push-ups on the basin every time you go.

 

References:

Too much sitting linked to heart disease, diabetes, premature death; POSTED JANUARY 22, 2015; Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter; Harvard Health Publications; http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/much-sitting-linked-heart-disease-diabetes-premature-death-201501227618 

Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of Sedentary Behavior; Neville Owen, Geneviève N Healy, Charles E. Matthews,and David W. Dunstan; National Institutes of Health; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404815/# 

http://www.health24.com/Fitness/FitnessGettingStarted/top-tips-on-how-to-keep-active-in-the-office-20161115

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News

MediNews: How to Get Kids to Love Exercise

11 Steps to Get Kids to Love Exercise

Do It Together

Dinner’s over. Instead of heading for the TV room, make a beeline for the front door. Go for a walk or a bike ride. Shoot some hoops or play catch. Just keep the conversation light. This is not the time to go over your child’s grades or chores. If it’s fun for everyone, you’ll all want to keep doing it.

Aim for an Hour a Day

Kids need to move for a total of 60 minutes a day. It should be a mix of activities that:

  • Get the heart pumping (such as running and fast walking)
  • Work muscles (like pushups)
  • Strengthen bones (like jumping rope) 

This hour of exercise doesn’t have to happen all at once. Kids can split it up over the course of the day. Have them take a brisk walk with the dog after school, play on a jungle gym — it all adds up.

Use a Step Counter

Kids love gadgets. A step counter (aka pedometer) can motivate them to move more. Get one for everyone in the family. Then come up with mini-challenges to get moving throughout the day.

How many steps to the telephone pole? How quickly can you take 80 steps?  See if your kids like posting a tally of steps in the kitchen for a little friendly competition, or have them try and beat their personal record.

Grab Some Fun Gear

You don’t need fancy equipment to get your family moving. Sure, a tennis racket or a pair of skates can provide a little inspiration, but a simple, affordable jump rope or an inflatable beach ball can do the trick, too. Keep a hidden stash of new outdoor toys. Then bust ’em out on days when your kids seem bored.

Set the Scene

It sounds simple, but sometimes you just have to choose the right location. Take kids to a playground or a baseball field. Go to the park. Have a picnic by a lake with a few of their friends.
You may not have to do much to get them moving. They may be inspired by their surroundings or other kids.

Shop Around for Classes

Classes — whether aikido or dance, tennis or yoga — can be a great way to get your kids to love physical activity.
Visit some classes for free before you sign up, and let your kids pick their favorite. That way, you know the money is well spent.

Play Video Games? Yes!

When it comes to fitness, video games don’t have to be the enemy. Use a game system with a motion sensor, like the Kinect or Wii. There are lots of games — physical fitness, yoga, sports, dance — you can rent or borrow.

Kids who get up and really move when they play active video games burn up to 200% more energy than they do when they play standard ones sitting down. But it’s still a good idea to limit screen time.

Make It Fun

Grab your child’s hand and go jump in a pile of leaves. You don’t even have to say “exercise.” Plant some tulips. Walk to the library. Make a snowman. Make it a seamless, fun part of their everyday life, not something they “have to” do.

Offer Encouragement

If your child doesn’t take to exercise right away, don’t give up. Praise what they do. Help them try out activities that don’t have to be competitive, like hiking or kayaking.

The key is to help them find their element. Keep trying different sports or activities. Help them see that physical activity is for everybody.

Find Your Passion

If you want your kids to exercise, it helps if you do. If they see you moving, they know it’s an important part of life that can be fun!

So what’s your thing?  Find an activity that youreally enjoy. Then share it with your kids. It’s OK if you haven’t been moving much either. You can start together.

Sneak It In

For example, when you go to the mall, make time to park far away from the entrance. Inside, point out that sometimes it’s better to take the stairs than to wait for the elevator. Race to see who can put away toys first or make the biggest pile of leaves.

Taking any chance to walk, run, jump, and play will make physical activity into a daily habit that becomes second nature to them.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/move/slideshow-kids-love-exercise