Hospital - Benalla Health Medical Ward - Benalla Services Directory

Hospital: Hospital - Benalla Health Medical Ward

The Medical ward at the Benalla Health is a 24 bed acute medical ward. There are 4 single rooms with the remaining rooms being double rooms. Most rooms have ensuites and all rooms have views to the magnificent gardens that encompass the hospital grounds.

The nursing staffs employed in the medical ward are highly skilled practitioners who have a real connection with the Benalla Community. Many of them have lived and worked within the community for the last 20 years and have a sense of community justice and ownership.

The medical ward provides care for a diverse group of patients with a significant focus on the elderly, palliative care patients, cardiac patients, diabetes management, rehabilitation, general medical patients and those awaiting placement in other facilities such as nursing homes. The medical unit has four portable cardiac monitoring units allowing patients to walk around the hospital while still providing the staff with the opportunity to monitor their heart rate and rhythm. The hospital provides an opportunity for local residents to return to Benalla for convalescence following treatment at other hospitals. This allows families to be reunited in a timely manner and decreases the stress that occurs with loved ones being separated. As well as the nursing and allied health staff, there are porters, administrative staff, cleaners, menu monitors and catering staff who all provide an exceptional level of support and care to the patients.

The ward has access to local allied health staff, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, infection control nurses, wound care nurses, diabetes educators, district nursing, community services, social worker, pharmacists, day activities and many more. There is also access to regional services such as council services, aged care assessment teams, psychiatric care, alcohol and drug management programs as well as other regional programs. The hospital has a discharge planner who helps patients and their carers/family plan for a successful discharge. This includes planning where the most appropriate destination is and which services need to be arranged.

The philosophy of this ward is person centered care. We listen to our patients and determine their plan of care together. We encourage patients to remain as independent as possible throughout their stay with us, thereby limiting any functional decline. We encourage early ambulation (walking), getting dressed into your own clothes, sitting up for meals and participating in hospital activities as a means of minimizing functional decline, minimizing risk of clots and fostering general well being. The ward has two lovely inside sitting areas and many areas in the garden to sit, where patients and families can sit together and talk or eat their meals.