Heart to Herts Cardiac Support Group

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Heart to Herts Cardiac Support Group

• Richard M Dobbs

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Heart to Herts

• A self help, self financing group, formed in
  November 1995, on an initiative by the British
  Heart Foundation, The West Herts Community Health
  (NHS) Trust, Hertfordshire Health Promotion and
  the Cardiology Consultants at Hemel Hempstead
  General Hospital.

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Objectives

• To maintain contact and offer mutual support to
  people with heart problems and also their
  relatives/carers.
• To keep abreast of current thinking and practice
  in after-care.
• To maintain contact with professional bodies.
• To provide information on local information
  classes, leisure facilities and rehabilitation
  programs.
• To provide psychological support for patient and
  carer.
• To provide an environment for supervised exercise
  sessions.
• To interact with other Cardiac Support Groups.

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HOW DO WE ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES?
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CONTACT AND SUPPORT

• A 16 page magazine In Touch, posted to all
  members on a monthly basis, keeps us informed and
  abreast of current thinking in cardiac care.It
  carries full details of all Heart to Herts
  activities and is packed with reports, features,
  stories, humour and quizzes.
• Monthly meetings where guest speakers give
  interesting and informative talks on not only
  medical matters, but also topical and social
  subjects.
• Monthly outings to places of interest.
• Various social gatherings.

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KEEPING ABREAST and MAINTAINING CONTACT

• Current thinking and practice is passed on
  through our monthly magazine.
• Representation on Steering Group for NSF
  Framework for CHD.
• Representation on Project Teams for CHD
  Collaborative.
• An annual address by our Joint Presidents
  Dr. John Bayliss and Dr. David Hackett.

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SUPPORT FOR PATIENT AND CARER

• Hospital visiting by a member of Heart to Herts.
• Monthly meetings where patients and carers can
  talk to each other over a cup of tea.
• Provide supervised exercise sessions for both
  patients and carers.
• Provide organized walks for both patients and
  carers.

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PROVIDING INFORMATION ON SERVICES

• Details of exercise sessions and leisure services
  are given in our monthly magazine In Touch.
• Group Members attend rehabilitation classes to
  serve tea and give assistance where necessary.
• Numerous articles on care and services appear in
  our magazine.
• A regularly updated Internet website gives
  current information.

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EXERCISE SESSIONS

• Four supervised evening sessions per week in
  Hemel Hempstead Hospital Gymnasium.
• One supervised Aerobic session per week at Hemel
  Hempstead Sports Centre.
• Research into other possible sites in other areas.

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INTERACTION WITH OTHER LOCAL CARDIAC GROUPS

• Contact is maintained with Heartbeats in St.
  Albans and the Watford Support Group.
• British Heart Foundation workshops are attended
  with other support groups from across the country.