If you read the CP, you might have seen details about Gary Smith last week, after he completed a marathon bike ride. It was in aid of a very worthy cause, the IOW Heart Care Club. Lyn Smith tells us more about the club’s aims and objectives. Ed
The IOW Heart Care Club was started in 1982 by Sister Jenny Cocks and is now run by a team of dedicated individuals.
The instructors include BACR Phase IV instructors, Physiotherapists and Nurses. The Club also uses Mentors who have been through the club to help others. The mentors regularly visit St. Mary’s Hospital CCU and talk to patients and their families to help answer questions they may have.
Helping Island residents
The Club exists to pro-actively assist and support IOW residents who have had had, or are having Heart or coronary related health issues.
The aim is both practical in terms of a fitness programme and ongoing health guidance with qualified and certified health and fitness professionals. Plus social events and activities targeted at the continuing well-being of members and their families and carers.
The fitness programme is an NHS recognised stage 3 & 4 post coronary care programme.
Members are generally referred from their local G.P. or NHS CCU nurse at Stage 2. An initial 8 week schedule of cardio-vascular exercise targeted to the age, condition and physical needs of the patient. This takes place at the Riverside Centre on Thursdays afternoons.
With diet, medical and other heart related issues are also delivered by experts in accompanying seminars whilst health, heart rate and weight checks are also monitored during this initial phase.
Further to this the patient can then attend regular weekly sessions lead by BACR Phase IV Fitness & Health professionals.
Lyn Smith is the Isle of Wight Coordinator and holds classes at a number of geographically useful Island locations –
- The ‘Fitness Factory’, Portland St. Newport
- ‘The Heights’ Leisure Centre, Sandown
- West Wight Leisure Centre, Freshwater
Social aspect as well as health
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not all about exercise & the club emphasises the social aspect of the healing process. The club is above all a friendly affair with some older members having attended classes for over 10 years.
As patients they are all in the same boat this guarantees real social inclusion to those thinking of joining in. All have interesting stories and experiences to relate to as a post coronary patient or someone worried about a heart condition or procedure. There are certainly some colourful characters that may be familiar to Islanders & Island life.
There is a varied programme of different social and fundraising events and regular news updates and members articles from the popular and friendly in-house magazine, ‘Ticker Tape’.
The increasing value to the NHS and role that the IOW Heart Care Club provides to Cardiac rehabilitation and post coronary support to service users was recently increased and augmented by a joint partnership between the NHS & IOW Heart Care Club in the Mentoring and support scheme now offered at Stage 2 at St. Mary’s CCU.
Full details of the programme, social events and mentoring scheme can be found at Island Heart Care Club Website as well as medical info. and clips that correspond to problems and advice for people with coronary problems and people concerned about those with this condition, treatment and recovery.
