Hospital Auxiliary purchases Sara Stedy for Hospital

The Young Hospital Auxiliary has continued their good work in supporting the Young Hospital with the purchase of a ‘Sara Stedy’.

The Sara Stedy is a mobile lift used to transfer patients from one position to another.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all Hospital Auxiliary fundraising activities and meetings have been cancelled until further notice, so members have been keeping in contact via email, phone calls and phone conferences. “Head Office have advised that we can still consider and approve requests for items needed by our Hospitals by phone or email instead of at a meeting, so we were very pleased to approve the purchase of a “Sara Stedy!”, said Hospital Auxiliary President Janice Ward.

Katrina Green, NUM Medical ward, said, “The Sara Stedy is very simple and considered a very valued resource by staff and patients. It is a mobile active lift with a safe working load of 182kg. It is intended to be operated on horizontal surfaces for transferring patients in hospitals. It has been designed to quickly and easily transport or transfer patients from one sitting position to another such as a chair, wheelchair, a bed or a toilet. It may also be used as a supportive aid when elevating a patient for the purposes of changing wound dressings.”

The cancellation of many fundraising activities has been difficult for the Auxiliary, “Our biggest disappointments have been the postponement of our 90th Birthday celebration in March (no new date yet) and cancellation of our annual Soup Day in July. Our other popular fundraiser, our stall just before Mother’s Day, was also cancelled,” said Janice Ward.

The one fundraising activity that has been able to continue has been the Return and Earn recycling at Woolworths and IGA, as it did not involve personal contact for any members. There were 883 bottles and cans returned in the two months, which was extended another two months and ended on the 24th of June.

Despite the challenges, the Auxiliary continues to make progress, “The Auxiliary has received a reply from the Health Minister to our Resolution presented at last State Conference requesting improved mental health services, particularly the recruitment and retention of mental health staff in rural areas,” said Janice Ward.

Members of the Young Hospital Auxiliary were also pleased to see member Nancy McGregor awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). “A very well deserved honour for her services to the community, particularly to the Hospital, medical services in the country and the Auxiliary,” said Janice Ward.

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• Young Hospital Auxiliary