Here are some case examples of how Osana supports members in their health:
Exercise
A 64 year old woman joined Osana in April 2019. She worked at a high school and was involved in the school’s fitness program, but had unfortunately not focused and taken care of her own health. She was overweight, suffered high blood pressure, and felt tired often. Osana initiated an exercise plan at our clinic every week, and our member received the dedicated attention from our Physio, Personal Trainer, Dietitian and GP. Although initially hesitant to participate in our exercise classes and weight loss program, she got underway and became more confident in her activity levels over time. As a result, after 3 months, she reduced her blood pressure to normal range (with medication control), lost over 10kg in weight and reduced her waist circumference by 9cm. She now feels much more energetic, has better self-esteem and is more mobile. She can now bend down easily to pick things up off the floor and do exercises with her students at school. Her lifestyle has also changed, with more cooking at home (less takeout), more engagement with local community activities, and more walking around her neighbourhood outdoors.
Headache
A 52 year old man joined Osana in February 2019, needing more help with high blood pressure and managing a pre-existing brain aneurysm. He worked as a designer and was sitting at his desk for upwards of 10 hours every day, in sustained positions that was not ergonomic. The height of his computer screens were not ideal, leading to excessive flexion of his neck whilst he worked. His work was stressful with plenty of deadlines and demanding clients, and this resulted in limited time with his young family. After joining Osana, this member was assessed by a GP, Care Manager, Physiotherapist and our Occupational Therapist. He was commenced on blood pressure medication, and a plan was put in place to address his stress at work, reduce excessive alcohol intake (6 bourbon and cokes after work each night), commence daily neck exercises, and fix the height and posture at his computer desk. After a 6 months on this plan, he lost 7 kg in weight, reported improved sleep and mental health, and was feeling happier and more relaxed. His headaches resolved and he had started taking up long-time hobbies archery and Chi Gong most mornings.
Diabetes and hypertension
A 77-year-old male joined Osana in suboptimal health. He was experiencing aches and pains in his hips and shoulders, not sleeping well and snoring, and was obese. He played bowls 3 times a week but he was unable to do anything more due to shortness of breath and pain. At the time, he was drinking half a bottle of wine per night and eating an unhealthy diet. Initial assessment at Osana diagnosed type 2 diabetes (previous sugar levels had been high but he had never been diagnosed) as well as high blood pressure. Osana’s treatment included review by our GP, Care Manager, Dietitian and Physiotherapist, putting a diet and exercise plan in place, commencement on a diabetes medication, and physiotherapy and a steroid injection for his hip bursitis. A sleep study revealed obstructive sleep apnoea and he was started on CPAP therapy (sleep machine therapy). He was also referred to a cardiologist and underwent cardiac stenting (to open up heart arteries). He now walks for an hour every day and exercises at home under the guidance of our Physiotherapist. He is eating a healthy and balanced diet, no longer drinking alcohol every day, has lost 10kg in weight and has brought his average sugar down to a safe level. His wife reports that his mood, energy and physical condition has dramatically improved.
Preventing cardiovascular disease
A 60 year old lady joined Osana with high cholesterol, BMI and waist circumference, putting her at a moderately high overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. She was drinking a few glasses of wine every night and her diet needed work. She was also overdue for several screening tests including blood examination, a pap smear, a mammogram, a skin check and follow-up optometrist and dental checks. This lady was assessed by our Dietitian and Physiotherapist, and she started making drastic changes to her diet, cut out alcohol entirely and ramped up her exercise levels. As a result, she has lost 10kg in seven months, and her previously high waist circumference has decreased accordingly. She is on track to achieve her health goals, and has diligently attended all of the appointments which were recommended to her, including seeing her dentist, optometrist, podiatrist and a cardiologist to assess her cardiovascular status, as well as having her pap smear, mammogram and skin checks. Her cardiovascular risk score has reduced dramatically, lowering her risk of a serious event such as heart attack over the next 5 years.
Chronic pain
A carer for an elderly patient with dementia sought Osana’s help after three nights of severe leg pain and not sleeping; she was unsure whether to admit the patient to hospital. Our Health Assistant went and fetched her from home in our car service and brought her into the clinic, had her examined by our GP and then took her to the lab for pathology tests, to the pharmacy to collect her medication, and then dropped her home. Osana then coordinated with the hospital rehabilitation service to organise an after-hours home visit to check on her and give her medication at night time. The rehabilitation service called at 6pm to say that they had not been able to find anyone to go around and give the medication, so the patient could either persist through another night of pain or attend the Emergency Department at the local hospital. Our Health Assistant offered to go around to the patient’s house again after work, sat with her and gave her a dose of her new medication, allowing the patient to get a good night’s sleep in her own bed and avoid a trip to hospital.
Weight loss
A patient joined Osana wanting to lose weight – she was very obese and felt tired, sleepy all the time. She had tried many different ways to lose weight in the past and didn’t find anything that gave her long lasting results. At Osana, she received the dedicated care of a care team including GP, Clinical Psychologist, Dietitian and Personal Trainer. Through a combination of diet, exercise, psychological support and getting her sleep apnoea diagnosed and treated, this patient has lost 30kg and this reduction has stayed over 6 months. Now when she attends the Osana clinic, she uses the exercise bike in our gym while she waits for appointments and takes part in many of the clinic activities, including dietary workshops, exercise classes, meditation, and strength and balance sessions. Before joining Osana, this patient estimates that she attended Emergency Departments twice a month with various health related issues and concerns, but has not been once since joining Osana. Her energy levels are much better and she has found the weight loss to be totally transformative in her life.
Arthritis
A new member with an arthritic hip, detected by our Care Manager, had an x ray organised by the patient’s Health Assistant at Osana, and had the imaging performed on the same day. The GP phoned the patient in the evening with the result and invited her to attend the arthritis talk on the following Monday in our clinic, and arranged for a bulk billed appointment with a rheumatology specialist immediately following the talk. Within a week of being cared for at Osana with a long-standing hip issue, she was being treated and able to mobilise much more quickly. She has a team of clinicians all providing ongoing review so that she can stay symptom free, and has the ongoing support of her dedicated Health Assistant to schedule appointments, organise transport for her (as she is elderly with no family and doesn’t drive) and check on her by phone every 2 weeks.
Surgery
An elderly man with complex medical history signed up with Osana so he could get a visiting GP to the home, as he had limited mobility. This patient was in and out of hospital from an abdominal wall hernia that had developed post a removal of his gallbladder (hernia is a protrusion in the stomach wall). The hernia was causing him alot of pain and he was visiting the Emergency Department regularly for pain relief, with 26 days in the emergency room in total over the previous year. The surgeon who performed the gallbladder removal was unaware that this complication had occurred and the previous GP was unable to make contact with the surgeon. Once the Osana team took over, the surgeon was tracked down and scheduled the corrective surgery for the hernia to eliminate the pain. Just before the corrective surgery the patient was diagnosed in hospital with a vein thrombosis requiring a blood thinner. As a consequence, the surgeon delayed the surgery, but the patient was still in pain. After weighing up the risks and persisting with the surgeon, the surgeon agreed to do the corrective surgery via a keyhole approach to decrease the chances of the patient losing excessive blood and no added risks being on a blood thinner. The patient received the surgery and is now pain free. Since his corrective surgery, he has not been back to the Emergency Department.