Laurie Dobson
Patient
St Vincent's Hospital

After seven trips to hospital in a year, Laurie Dobson knew he had to do something about his health. After speaking to his GP and the staff at St Vincent's Hospital, the hospital enrolled him in a program called Restoring health . The program taught him about exercise and the importance of a healthy diet. A dietician even came to his house and examined the contents of his fridge to help educate him about good food choices. Restoring health also put Laurie in touch with support groups and helped him devise a self-management plan to help maintain his health.

There are over 100 programs, such as Restoring health , that are part of the Victorian Government's Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) initiative operating across the state. HARP adopts preventative measures and new approaches to treating people to allow them to be cared for in the community and reduce the need for an unnecessary hospital admission.

For Laurie, participating in a HARP program has meant he has been able to take control of his own health. He now feels healthy enough to return to work soon, which he says "will be absolutely terrific!"

More information

Find out more about:

• Restoring health and other HARP programs
• Self-management programs and taking control of your health, visit: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au or www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au