Producers: VEA Group Pty Ltd

In some cases, stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that leaves the victim with permanent disability. But for many stroke patients, there’s a lot that can be done through quick medical attention, good rehabilitation and community support. In this program, two stroke victims take us through their experiences and explain the affects stroke has had on their lives. We speak to experts, including Professor John Oliver, Director of Rehabilitation at Epworth HealthCare to help us understand more about the physiology of stroke, what a stroke actually is, the warning signs, symptoms and risk factors.

Team nursing is founded on a philosophy that supports the achievement of goals through group action. Under the team nursing model, all members are encouraged to make suggestions and share ideas. Successful implementation of team nursing results in high levels of job satisfaction and strong motivation to give better care. This essential video resource provides nurse unit managers and nursing team members with the knowledge and practical tools needed to develop a highly effective nursing team. From forming a new team and day-to-day functioning of a team, to the secrets of a successful team, this comprehensive and insightful resource illustrates exactly why teams work best.

A high percentage of elderly people in professional care suffer from dementia, a psychiatric illness or a specific brain injury. Recently, extensive research has been undertaken into understanding the origins of behaviours of concern, focusing on addressing the variety of underlying causes. In this program we investigate defining and understanding behaviours of concern, types of behaviours and unmet needs, assessing and problem solving, possible triggers and management strategies. Systematic approaches to the identification of triggers and instigation of problem solving techniques can significantly reduce this increasingly widespread condition.

Health professionals have a responsibility to provide clear, concise and appropriate information to colleagues, patients and the wider community. This essential program employs a dynamic combination of dramatised scenarios, real footage on the ward, and expert comment from health professionals, to get to the heart of communication in a health care setting. It discusses how nurses can communicate more effectively, and examine blocking behaviours that we can all fall into. It also delves into specific day-to-day situations faced by nurses, demonstrating how to break bad news, providing strategies for effective handover, and responding appropriately to aggression.

Delirium and dementia are two of the most common mental disorders elderly people face. Depression is also common in elderly people and often presents with symptoms similar to dementia or delirium. The differentiation between these three conditions can be difficult because many symptoms overlap. As the cause of so much suffering and discomfort, it is important these conditions are effectively addressed by medical staff. This program defines these conditions by detailing symptoms and speaking to medical experts. Potential risk factors, causes of delirium and assessment criteria for all three conditions are outlined along with a brief summary of management strategies.

Depression is the most common mental illness amongst adults. It’s characterised by feelings of hopelessness and numbness. We all know what it’s like to feel depressed, but to suffer from depression is another thing entirely. In this program, we meet two sufferers and find out first-hand what it’s like to experience the journey through depression and recovery. We speak to Professor Graham D. Burrows, Chairman of the Mental Health Foundation of Australia and other industry professionals, to examine the unique characteristics the disease presents and the importance of ongoing support for sufferers. A moving insight into this often misunderstood disease.

As health professionals we must support patients and their families, carers and friends as they grapple with their own personal experiences of loss and grief. In this insightful program we take a holistic approach to understanding and responding to loss and grief. We speak frankly with Christine McMahon, who lost her only son in Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, about her personal experience of extreme loss and grief. Experts in counselling and palliative care help us to recognise loss and grief and employ practical strategies to support a person who is battling through one the most difficult times in their life.