Day Out Celebrates Good Health
October 2011
Community-based Fife Cardiac Rehabilitation Services, delivered by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust in partnership with NHS Fife, recently celebrated 11 years of service with an Activity Day at Lochore Meadows on Friday 16th September 2011.
The annual get together, hosted by the Trust, celebrates the achievement and progress of people who attend cardiac rehabilitation classes in its leisure centres across the region. 50 people who have previously suffered a cardiac incident turned out to take part in a range of activities including archery, kayaking, cycling, walking and kata-kanuing – paddling in canoes designed for teams.
The service, which has been delivered by the Trust since 2000, provides long-term maintenance involving gym or circuit classes led by qualified British Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation instructors. The service is well used with some regular class goers having attended since the cardiac programme was first introduced. Around 12,000 people every year have taken part in Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s cardiac rehab classes held in 11 of its centres across Fife.
Patients are referred to the service following a cardiac incident and progress through three phases of rehabilitation before joining phase four – the community-based service offered by the Trust.
John Cummins, aged 70, and Brian Skinner, aged 71, are both from Kirkcaldy and have been attending classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool for 15 months and just over two years, respectively, following heart attacks.
Both men underwent three months of phase three cardiac rehab at Victoria Hospital before being referred to the phase four classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool for the next stage of their rehabilitation.
John said: “I had a heart attack about a year and a half ago when I was 69, despite being quite active, running, hill running and being a fire fighter. After my heart attack, I spent three months taking rehab classes at the hospital, where the nurses were top rate, then was referred to the phase four classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool.
“The classes really help keep me under control. I often feel like I’m fine and can do more physically than I actually can. They keep me from overexerting myself.”
Brian said: “I also had a heart attack when I was 69, over two years ago now, and went into full crash, having to be brought back. The nurses at the hospital were top rate and really help me recover enough to progress to the phase four classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool.
“John and I were both in stressful professions before our heart attacks, though I never really thought of it as stressful when I was doing it – that was how it was. I was a policeman – not your typical 9-5 job. I was frequently required to undergo stressful days. Looking back on it now, the years and years of that kind of physical work may have gone a way to what happened, though it didn’t seem like anything at the time.
“The classes have absolutely helped me. They’ve really helped me physically recover, as I had lost a lot of my strength. The classes are also a good laugh, and everyone has a good time. The instructors are also very knowledgeable and always have an answer.”
Jacquie Stringer, Programme and Events Manager, Fife Sports and Leisure Trust said: “We organise a cardiac rehabilitation event every year so people who use the service have the opportunity to get together. It is always very popular and well attended and it’s a great opportunity for Trust staff to meet with users of the service.
“The fact that some of our service users have been attending for 11 years confirms that the programme makes a real difference not just to their health, but offers important social and emotional benefits too.”
Opening the day’s events, Kirsten Kruszewski, Consulting Cardiologist with NHS Fife, said: “It is very encouraging to see so many people who have previously suffered a cardiac incident be proactive about their health and fitness. Research has shown that patients involved in a cardiac rehabilitation programme benefit from optimal recovery. Rehabilitation can also help prevent further incidents and unnecessary readmission to hospital.
“Being able to offer community-based cardiac rehabilitation once a patient has been discharged from hospital is essential. Our long-term partnership with the Trust has proven to be extremely effective and is key to the continued support we offer patients following a cardiac incident.”
October 2011
Community-based Fife Cardiac Rehabilitation Services, delivered by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust in partnership with NHS Fife, recently celebrated 11 years of service with an Activity Day at Lochore Meadows on Friday 16th September 2011.
The annual get together, hosted by the Trust, celebrates the achievement and progress of people who attend cardiac rehabilitation classes in its leisure centres across the region. 50 people who have previously suffered a cardiac incident turned out to take part in a range of activities including archery, kayaking, cycling, walking and kata-kanuing – paddling in canoes designed for teams.
The service, which has been delivered by the Trust since 2000, provides long-term maintenance involving gym or circuit classes led by qualified British Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation instructors. The service is well used with some regular class goers having attended since the cardiac programme was first introduced. Around 12,000 people every year have taken part in Fife Sports and Leisure Trust’s cardiac rehab classes held in 11 of its centres across Fife.
Patients are referred to the service following a cardiac incident and progress through three phases of rehabilitation before joining phase four – the community-based service offered by the Trust.
John Cummins, aged 70, and Brian Skinner, aged 71, are both from Kirkcaldy and have been attending classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool for 15 months and just over two years, respectively, following heart attacks.
Both men underwent three months of phase three cardiac rehab at Victoria Hospital before being referred to the phase four classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool for the next stage of their rehabilitation.
John said: “I had a heart attack about a year and a half ago when I was 69, despite being quite active, running, hill running and being a fire fighter. After my heart attack, I spent three months taking rehab classes at the hospital, where the nurses were top rate, then was referred to the phase four classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool.
“The classes really help keep me under control. I often feel like I’m fine and can do more physically than I actually can. They keep me from overexerting myself.”
Brian said: “I also had a heart attack when I was 69, over two years ago now, and went into full crash, having to be brought back. The nurses at the hospital were top rate and really help me recover enough to progress to the phase four classes at Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool.
“John and I were both in stressful professions before our heart attacks, though I never really thought of it as stressful when I was doing it – that was how it was. I was a policeman – not your typical 9-5 job. I was frequently required to undergo stressful days. Looking back on it now, the years and years of that kind of physical work may have gone a way to what happened, though it didn’t seem like anything at the time.
“The classes have absolutely helped me. They’ve really helped me physically recover, as I had lost a lot of my strength. The classes are also a good laugh, and everyone has a good time. The instructors are also very knowledgeable and always have an answer.”
Jacquie Stringer, Programme and Events Manager, Fife Sports and Leisure Trust said: “We organise a cardiac rehabilitation event every year so people who use the service have the opportunity to get together. It is always very popular and well attended and it’s a great opportunity for Trust staff to meet with users of the service.
“The fact that some of our service users have been attending for 11 years confirms that the programme makes a real difference not just to their health, but offers important social and emotional benefits too.”
Opening the day’s events, Kirsten Kruszewski, Consulting Cardiologist with NHS Fife, said: “It is very encouraging to see so many people who have previously suffered a cardiac incident be proactive about their health and fitness. Research has shown that patients involved in a cardiac rehabilitation programme benefit from optimal recovery. Rehabilitation can also help prevent further incidents and unnecessary readmission to hospital.
“Being able to offer community-based cardiac rehabilitation once a patient has been discharged from hospital is essential. Our long-term partnership with the Trust has proven to be extremely effective and is key to the continued support we offer patients following a cardiac incident.”
