What has shaped your view of health?
Staying well is a work in progress for all of us irrespective of our age. I began my career as a general practitioner in 1970. Since then, I have journeyed through the years with mostly good health except for the hidden reality of heart disease brought on from the wrong family history. Yes, this is the insidious and still dominant killer in our society. For me, it’s struck when I was 32 but on retrospect it was coming on for some years.
I had not practised what I preached. ‘Prevention is key’.
There is no doubt that lack of exercise and obesity, even in its earliest form of chubbiness when growing up, are definite indicators to make one alert. Since then and following appropriate cardiac surgery, I have taken the steps to minimise the impact my upbringing and family history generated. Exercise and weight control are daily considerations.
I am now 80 and doing well.
What drives people to change their behaviour?
Nothing like personal exposure makes the same difference as everyday advice and guidance by others. I learnt early in my career that patients usually only change their behaviours when confronted with a personal crisis involving their health or someone close!.
How have you impacted health care?
My career led me from general practice into expanding my medical skills along with administrative abilities into a widened health space activity involving hospitals, medical centres and diagnostic services. Nowadays, I have focused on hospitals and what they need to offer not only today but in the rapidly changing technological world pertaining to healthcare delivery opportunities.
What is the biggest problems facing health care today?
Most people over 50 years old and even some beforehand, have a chronic disease! Each year, 80% of the health budget is now spent on chronic diseases. I’m sure that readers of any health magazine or who attend doctors appointments regularly are well aware of their own vulnerability to experiencing health conditions. Many of the worst conditions are insidious. Others we have to live with day by day and consume appropriate tablets, whether prescribed by doctors or self prescribed over-the-counter options.
This may lead to PolyPharmacy, a very concerning and under diagnosed situation where patients take over five tablets a day for their illnesses, which may be causing side-effects.
How can people seek support?
Prehab and Rehab are major Rehabilitation services which Delmar and Manly Waters private hospitals provide. Such services are significantly beneficial to those with flare ups of their chronic conditions or care after undergoing joint operations. Yet, they are not routinely offered!
Heart, Lung, Falls risk patients and those after surgery benefit greatly from planned exercises.
I have since day one as a practitioner, felt prevention is best. Today that still applies to each and everyone of us of any age.
The cornerstone of this is understanding that health and well- being depends on each of us asking 2 simple questions.
“Am I the right weight for my age and height?”
“Am I exercising enough to stay well?”
Be honest! That is the hard part and not just reading it through one’s own eyes. It is hard to change old habits and avoid reality. Yet that is what determines our future wellbeing!
Dr Tom Wenkart
