Family matters - Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

ADVICE & SUPPORTCHSS Advice Line …… a day in the lifeBEFORE the Line goes ‘live’ at9.30am each day our door is open forenquiries from staff. We also check tosee if any messages have been left onour answering machine or in ouremail inbox, and respond to these.Next we check news websitesfor any relevant articles. People oftencall us about news stories so weneed to be briefed! We post links tonews items on Facebook andTwitter, and answer any enquiriesposted since the previous day.The Advice Line is open from9.30am–4pm Monday to Friday toanswer enquiries by telephone,email, letter, and occasionally by fax,mobile phone text message, TextRelay call (for the Deaf), or LanguageLine call (though an interpreter).More than half of our calls areabout stroke, and the remainder areabout high blood pressure, reducingrisk factors (e.g. smoking andcholesterol), COPD, heart failure,chest pain, heart rhythm problemsand heart attack. Many callers sufferfrom anxiety, stress, or depression.We provide information andadvice based on Scottish and UKGuidelines (e.g. SIGN and NICE).We are all trained in counselling skillsand provide a listening ear with notime limit to a call. We help peopleto understand their condition,empowering them to know what toask or where to access the servicesand ongoing support they need.Our service is confidential andpeople can remain anonymous ifthey wish, which gives themconfidence to ask us things whichThe Advice Line team (from left):Edie Garlick, Elizabeth Norby(Advice Line Nurses) and LauraHastings (Lead Advice Line Nurse).they might feel embarrassed askingtheir GP. We do get calls fromhealthcare professionals and studentstoo, but the majority are frompatients and carers themselves.We send out CHSS and otherpublications, and we research andwrite factsheets for individual callerswith more unusual enquiries. Werefer people to CHSS services, andsignpost them to other organisationsfor conditions or support outwithour boundaries.A day in the life of the AdviceLine can include meetings with otherCHSS departments, networking withother organisations, and promotingour service. As Registered Nurseswe also attend study days andconferences on a regular basis tokeep up-to-date.So you can see there’s a lotmore to working on the Advice Linethan “just” answering the phone, butwhen we get a comment like thisone we know that answering thecalls is the very best part of our job:“Your Advice Line gave meinvaluable help which probablysaved my life”.Spring time is almost here!Why not Spring Clean yourlifestyle? Out with the bad oldhabits and in with new oneswhich will keep you feelinghealthy and like a springchicken all year long!1 I read in a magazine thatpeople should eat 5 portionsof fruit and vegetables everyday. Why is this and howmuch is a portion?FRUIT and vegetables are a goodsource of essential vitamins andminerals. They contain lots of specialnutrients called antioxidants that helpprotect the cells in your body fromdamage and illness. As a roughguide, fruit and vegetables shouldmake up about a third of everythingyou eat each day.One portion would be forexample one banana, two plums, acouple of broccoli florets, onecarrot, a handful of strawberries ortwo tablespoons of peas. Dried,canned and frozen fruit andvegetables count too, and beans,pulses, and fruit juice counts as aserving once a day. Potatoes don’tcount as they are a carbohydrate.See Factsheet F24 HealthyEating14