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Bid to get SA healthier

THE South Australian Government will employ 50 new Lifestyle Advisers and Support Officers to help thousands of South Australians stay healthy.
Health Minister John Hill said the positions would be rolled out over the next four years as part of the State Government's GP Plus Health Care Centre strategy.
South Australia will be one of the first states in Australia to introduce such a programme.
"This is about helping South Australians to change their lives for the better - about helping them to quit smoking, lose weight, exercise more, cope better with stress and reduce their consumption of alcohol," Minister Hill said.
"In the long term it's about creating a healthier community, and improving the health of South Australians to keep them out of hospital."
The initiative is due to start in March, with each of the 50 advisers and support officers helping up to 300 people a year.
Minister Hill said the lifestyle advisers were a key part of the Government's commitment to primary health care, building on South Australia's $2.2 billion Health Care Plan and the Generational Health Review, which focuses on illness prevention, early intervention and primary care.
The Lifestyle Advisers will work with thousands of South Australians identified as high risk of developing chronic disease, such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Latest figures indicate there are:

393,300 adults in South Australia with a single risk factor for chronic disease (low risk)
222,300 adults in South Australia with two or more risk factors for chronic disease (moderate risk)
92,800 adults in South Australia with three or more risk factors for chronic disease (high risk)

People wanting to be part of the programme could be referred by their GP, or through GP Plus Health Care Centres.
"The staff will work in the community to provide a link between GPs and other health professionals, to develop a lifestyle intervention plan to meet a patient's specific needs," Minister Hill said.
"This could include working with a patient one-on-one, following up with phone support, or taking part in a group programme.
"It's all about working out how best to motivate and support a healthy lifestyle change for each individual.
"By targeting at-risk people and providing personalised care to keep them healthier for longer, it's hoped the programme will reduce the number of people developing a chronic disease, reduce burdens on families and communities and the hospital system in the long term."
The Department of Health will be providing information to GPs on the new programme before its start up next year.
There will be further information available for the community on how to access lifestyle advisers when the programme is launched next year.