The Check Up

By Dr David Corbet, Anglesea Medical

What a year it has been so far! When the last edition of NewsAngle came out, restrictions had eased and it seemed that we might have been past the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately it didn’t pan out that way, and we have found ourselves back under Stage 3, with Melbourne having even tougher restrictions in an effort to decrease community transmission. Hopefully though, as you read this, we are moving into another new phase. Throughout this year, despite the difficulty experienced by so many, it has been encouraging and inspiring to see how our community has come out to support each other. We are still very fortunate down here on the Surf Coast –and even in Australia in general –compared to some countries around the world. As we have discussed in previous editions of The Check Up, the mental health impacts of the pandemic have been, and will continue to be, significant. Alongside the one-on-one support provided through our clinic, and the various online services available, we started thinking about how to support nd the community outside of the clinic. Back in May, someone mentioned during a consult that they rarely got any mail and that they were feeling lonely. We initially thought about sending out letters from the clinic to people who might be lonely or struggling with social isolation. This sparked the idea for our new community engagement project called ‘From 9 to 90’. We have partnered with Anglesea Primary School, Anglesea Aged Care, and the Anglesea Men’s Shed to develop a letter writing project between grade 3/4 children and older members of the Anglesea community. And what a treat it is already turning out to be! For some people, simply having the opportunity to participate has improved their mood and outlook. And our sneak peak at some of the content has been heartwarming. Intergenerational and social connection develops understanding and can reduce the negative impact of isolation. The project also fits in with literacy aims for primary school, and learning about differences between generations and how things have changed, will allow increased understanding and foster positivity. Thanks must go to the lovely Caroline Woodhams, our receptionist, who has taken the lead and is coordinating the letter drops and pick up. More about this project can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/From9to90 Welcome Amy Finally, because so many of you haven’t had the chance to meet our new nurse, Amy McElgunn, who started with us back in March just as we were going into the first lockdown, we thought we’d introduce her here. Amy completed her Bachelor of Nursing at Australian Catholic

Anglesea Medical Nurse, Amy McElgunn.

University, Ballarat, in 2006, with her Graduate year at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. An interest in rural health saw her move to Swan Hill for a few years, working in the Emergency, Medical/Surgical and high-dependency departments. Amy then moved to London and nursed in a range of areas, mainly in Oncology and Interventional Radiology. On return to Australia, a move to Melbourne saw her continue to work in Interventional Radiology specialising in Breast Care. In 2015, Amy’s interest in preventative health drove her to complete the Nurse Immuniser Course and make the transition to Primary Health Care as a Practice Nurse in Geelong. Further training in Cervical Screening and Sexual Health has strengthened Amy’s passion for practice nursing and she has now been at Anglesea Medical since March this year.