Living Well with Arthritis in Scotland Our Living Well programme aims to support people living with arthritis or any other long-term medical condition to get active and stay active, in order to live well with your condition. Evidence shows that physical activity is good for us, even when we have a long-term condition like arthritis. Regular physical activity has many benefits and helps us to remain well for longer and manage our pain more effectively. Our Living Well programme is designed to bring together people facing similar health challenges to support each other in finding ways to better health, through self-management and physical activity. The first step is to get in touch with us for a chat about what’s in your area and how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0141 954 7776. You can also train to be a Living Well with Arthritis volunteer in a range of activities. Please click on the headings below if you want to find out more about our main activities: Self-management programmes Peer support Tai Chi for Arthritis Health Walks Body Boosting Bingo Take Care Simply Learning Train the Trainers Gentle Touch Pain Toolkit Arthritis Awareness Partnership Working If you are interested in volunteering to help us deliver any of these activities in your area, please contact [email protected] or call 0141 954 7776. 1 Living Well with Arthritis in Scotland Self-management programmes “Each and every one of Yennie’s thoughtful and engaging self- management sessions left me a little better equipped to live with my ‘new normal’.” Self-Management is a partnership approach and works well alongside the best medical care and support. The key is getting the power balance right. In a truly person-centred approach, people with long term conditions are in charge. Gaining self-confidence and improving self-esteem are critical to supporting us to be in the driving seat of our lives. We all have the right to good quality, non-biased, accurate and accessible information on a range of issues. This is a vital tool to support Self-Management for people with long-term conditions. There are five workshop modules available, covering a range of topics: • Introduction to person centred self-management • Effective communication • Understanding pain and other symptoms • Activity and exercise • Managing change The modules are delivered by trained volunteers who have experience of using self-management techniques to live well with a long-term condition. Alongside the sessions, we offer the opportunity for you as participants to continue to meet as a group, expand your activities and continue to support each other within your local community. Sessions are delivered in different areas, depending on the capacity of staff, volunteers, and our knowledge of local demand. 2 Living Well with Arthritis in Scotland Q & A about Self-management: Q: Who can attend? A: Anyone living with arthritis and/or related conditions, who may sometimes find it difficult to cope with the impact on day-to-day living. Q: How long do the self-management modules last? A: Each module lasts half a day, either a morning or an afternoon. Q: How many modules do I have to attend? A: Everyone will be invited to attend an introductory module. The trainers will then design a future programme having identified the most relevant workshops for each group’s needs. This may be one module, or all five modules. Q: What happens then? A: As part of the process, participants can continue to meet to provide on-going peer support to each other. Please get in touch for a chat about what’s in your area and how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0141 954 7776. You can also become a Self-Management volunteer after you’ve had the relevant training. Peer support “I had been trying to make some changes in my life and I got a lot of really helpful feedback from the group when I explained what I was trying to do. I would not have been able to make so much progress towards my goals without the help and support of the rest of the group.” Peer support is when people use their own experiences to help each other. There are different types of peer support, but they all aim to: • bring together people with shared experiences to support each other • provide a space where you feel accepted and understood • treat everyone's experiences as being equally important • involve both giving and receiving support. We often find that when groups of people with long-term conditions come together to attend self-management sessions, they recognise the benefits of meeting with others on the course and want to stay in touch when the course is finished. However, peer support can also be set up 3 Living Well with Arthritis in Scotland by anyone who would like to meet with other people experiencing similar issues, such as chronic pain. Versus Arthritis offers training, advice and financial support to help set up peer support groups. Please get in touch for a chat about what’s in your area and how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0141 954 7776. You can also become a peer support volunteer after you’ve had the relevant training. Tai Chi for Arthritis • “Class was excellent in focusing mind and body and making you aware of your body and surroundings.” Dr Paul Lam, a doctor and Tai Chi master based in Sydney, developed a Tai Chi program for people with arthritis based on the Sun style. It uses a set of 12 movements and qigong breathing exercises. This gentle form of exercise is suitable for everyone including those with different types of arthritis and related conditions. Our Tai Chi for Arthritis classes normally run for one hour each week for up to 6 weeks and in some of our locations they run for longer periods. We know that Tai Chi can help you to: • Improve balance, flexibility and muscle strength • Reduce pain and stiffness • Increase your sense of wellbeing We provide training for volunteers who run classes in their own communities, and currently have classes in various locations, including Argyll & Bute, Grampian, Highlands, Orkney and Dumfries & Galloway. Please get in touch for a chat about what’s in your area and how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0141 954 7776. 4 Living Well with Arthritis in Scotland Health Walks “It’s good to get out and about as I’m on the waiting list to have a knee replacement and I’m aware of the benefits of walking, I have recently been recruited as a Walk Leader and I will be attending my training shortly” Walking is a simple, cheap and very effective way to exercise. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. A lack of exercise can make your joints even more painful and stiff because the surrounding muscles become weakened, and that puts more stress on the joints. In collaboration with Paths For All, we recruit and train volunteers to run health walks for people living with a long-term condition in various locations, including Grampian, Argyll & Bute, Ayrshire & Arran, and Dumfries & Galloway. The volunteer walk leaders provide opportunities to meet other people for a chat as well as enjoy some gentle exercise, followed by a warm cuppa and maybe even a biscuit or two. Please get in touch for a chat about what’s in your area and how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0141 954 7776. You may also want to view our Walking your way to Happiness for help with getting started. 5 Living Well with Arthritis in Scotland Body Boosting Bingo “The Body Boosting Bingo workshop was a huge hit - so much giggling, humour and great exercise.” Body Boosting Bingo was developed by Age Scotland’s Allied Health Professionals, Yolanda Strachan and Jenny Ackland. It is all about supporting people to participate in exercise, promoting muscle strength and balance in a fun and lively way. We know that increasing our muscle strength and fitness levels can make a huge difference to our physical and mental health. It can make us feel stronger, happier and help us to keep doing the things that we want to do to keep us independent and enjoying life. Body Boosting Bingo is like a regular game of bingo - however each number called relates to an exercise or activity. For example, ‘number 10 let's twist again’ ‘number 8 lift some weights’. The exercises included in Body Boosting Bingo are based on research evidence with a few fun activities added in that gently encourage you to join in. Within the game, we demonstrate seated and standing versions of each activity and you can choose which version you want to join in with. We work in partnership with Age Scotland to provide training for volunteer facilitators so you can share this fun activity with people living in your own communities. Please get in touch for a chat about what’s in your area and how you can get involved. Contact [email protected] or call us on 0141 954 7776. Take Care - for unpaid carers “Able to share experiences and gain knowledge.” We understand how difficult it can be to find time for rest and relaxation, especially when you are caring for someone who relies on you for support with daily living. We also know that many people with arthritis and related conditions may also be caring for someone else, along with many other commitments.