Change4Life - June 2015

Welcome to our all-new monthly spotlight on an organisation or resource that can help us all in our quest for better health!

The June spotlight's on......Change4Life 

Read on for all the details and/or download your personal copy here!

 

What is it?

 

Change4Life is the NHS website devoted to helping people and families live healthier lives in terms of eating, drinking and moving.  Its slogan is ‘Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer’.  It has sections devoted to food and drinks, alcohol and physical activity.  It’s more than just an information site, though - it’s presented in a bright, friendly format and is thoroughly practical!  Each section includes tips, ideas and suggestions, inviting the visitor to decide what would be right for them to change. The underlying message seems to be one of ‘nudge’ – that is trying out new things, little by little, choosing just one thing at a time to do differently.

 

There seems to be something for absolutely everyone, whatever your starting lifestyle. You can go from ‘couch to 5K in nine weeks’ or download a ‘Step-o-Meter’ app to count your daily steps, even if you are already very active.

 

For families in particular, the messages of the website include making changes together, such as being active at the weekends as a family, but also healthier cooking and packed lunches and picnics.

 

The site is very engaging and welcoming, with not a judgmental comment in sight. It’s all about encouragement and enthusiasm, and above all, ease, explaining that simple food or drink swaps and a bit more activity everyday can make a huge difference to your health.

 

To maintain your enthusiasm for changes, there are lots of supporting gadgets and programmes, for example a series of free apps and a version of ‘LazyTown, getting the messages across in an enjoyable way, while young!

 

We think it’s well worth a look to find out what inspiration you can get personally – and maybe also spread the word to your family and friends.

 

How can it help me with living with diabetes?

 

Most of life with diabetes is about healthy living, including all the aspects covered in Change4Life. Having diabetes doesn’t make healthy choices and lifestyle changes any easier for you than for anyone else though – in some ways it can even be harder, because there is so much extra to take into account, like medications, testing and hospital appointments etc. So, anything that helps you add a little extra healthy living without much effort has to be a bonus, yes?

How can it help me with working with diabetes?

 

You can heartily recommend Change4Life to people you see in your clinics and visits – perhaps especially for families and young people.  It may help to reinforce the messages you are giving as well, and it means that people can also independently find information that is just right for them.

 

You can also, perhaps, use Change4Life as the basis for conversations about healthy living in general and how peoples’ personal diabetes treatment and monitoring fits in with its messages.  It could turn out to be something you look at together, say in a consultation and so help people make choices about what changes they wish to make?

 

Finally, as we regularly say, there might be something on there for yourself and your own health or that of your family. Your own wellbeing is just as important as that of everyone you help!

Our 3 top reasons to give it a try

 

1. It’s easy and quick to read and ‘dip into’

 

2. There’s a place to start for everyone, younger, older, fitter, completely unfit and everything in between!

 

3. There’s a great directory of local activities, just choose your favourite, or one you wish to try, enter your postcode and a list will pop up!     

 

 

 

Any down sides?

 

Nope – it’s all good! Enjoy and be inspired!   

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it for now! Hope you like our take on Change4Life and watch out for another ‘Self Health Spotlight’ in July!

 

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Education Consultancy

"The Diabetes Clinical Advisory Group prioritised patient education as a key priority.  The group recognised that work needed to be done to develop the quality and capacity of “Structured” education as outlined by NICE guidance.  However, the group also wanted to provide other options for those patients who wanted more education after attending structured education courses or who had declined to attend an education course but were interested in undertaking some learning.  We commissioned Rosie Walker at Successful Diabetes to pull together a menu of currently available alternative education and self help options available to patients both for free or either funded by the patient themselves.

 

Rosie immediately understood what we were trying to achieve due to her obvious extensive experience.  She was able to quickly translate our requirements and offer ideas for improvements.  We had a relatively tight deadline for the work which was delivered ahead of time.

 

It is a huge advantage, as a commissioner of a diabetes-specific piece of work, to have a company that is solely focused on diabetes and the expertise shone through.  

 

I would strongly recommend Rosie Walker and Successful Diabetes" 

Abigail Kitt – Service Improvement Manager – South East Coast Strategic Clinical Network

 

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Latest Article in Diabetes and Primary Care

'Transforming the "Educational Wasteland" into a "Learning Landscape"' is the title of Rosie Walker's comment piece in the latest issue of 'Diabetes and Primary Care' (DAPC) Journal,   She argues that there is a 'rhetoric-reality divide' for diabetes education and…
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Circle D - May 2015

Welcome to our all-new monthly spotlight on an organisation or resource that can help us all in our quest for better health!

The May spotlight's on......Circle D - Support for 18-30s with Diabetes www.circledrocks.co.uk

Read on for all the details and/or download your personal copy here!

What is it?

Circle D is an online and face-to-face support group for people living with diabetes aged 18-30 (ish!).  It grew out of an initiative from Diabetes UK to help young adults support each other, by setting up groups to share the feelings and experiences of being diagnosed with diabetes.  The founders, Shelley and Sally, both have Type 1 diabetes and had previously met at an education course at their hospital in Kent. They were keen to help others feel less alone, as they had done, through their friendship. 

After attending the training, they set up Circle D, which now has a regular face-to-face meeting (known as the ‘rant room’!) along with periodic social outings and celebrations.  Those who live outside Kent have been inspired to set up their own Circle D locally, and many join in on the website and in social media.

The group has received awards and interest from a number of organisations and invites visitors from time to time, including the local MP. More importantly, Circle D offers much needed support and encouragement to young adults with diabetes – and a lot of fun! Which all adds up to feeling less alone in coping with diabetes. 

How can it help me with living with diabetes?

 

Circle D is an inclusive, friendly group which aims simply to support anyone aged 18-30 living with diabetes.  If you need someone who can sympathise exactly with the demands, pressures or even the oddities of having diabetes, this one’s for you.  There are lots of ways of being in touch as well as meeting up in person.  Sometimes the best advice is from someone who knows what it’s like to be your age with diabetes.

 

How can it help me with working with diabetes?

 

Knowing about organisations like Circle D can help you help people in this age group get some reliable peer support.  Reading the website can give you a flavour of the kind of activities which appeal to young adults. Most of all, if you don’t have a support group or Circle D near you, perhaps you could contact the organiser (it’s now run by Shelley and her details are on the website) and ask for their help in setting one up?  Circle D is only too delighted to spread the word!

 

Our 3 top reasons to give  a try:

1.’Meeting, sharing, comparing’ is a great way to feel supported and more confident about living with diabetes, especially at the young adult stage. This can continue into later life with diabetes, too.

2.Diabetes support is not all hospital based – it can take place in cafés, theme parks and shopping centres!

3.It’s not just for people with Type 1, those with Type 2 can join too! 

 

Any down sides?

 

It’s a shame there isn’t a Circle D support group everywhere! Can you help with that?

 

http://www.circledrocks.co.uk

 

That’s it for now! Hope you like our take on Circle D, and watch out for another ‘Self Health Spotlight’ in June!

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Brand new 'Self Health Spotlight'

Our brand new feature 'Self Health Spotlight' is rapidly becoming one of our biggest 'hits' here on the website.  June's addition to the collection looks at Change4Life. What is it and how can it help in living or working with…
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Read our latest blog posts!

Our latest topical posts on our blog 'SD Comments' are ready and waiting!: Recently, we've addressed 'Old Things in New Ways' and 'No Judgement Please - We're Doing Our Best!'  Just jump over to 'SD Comments' and all will be…
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Sane, Mind and Samaritans - April 2015

Welcome to our all-new monthly spotlight on an organisation or resource that can help us all in our quest for better health!

The April spotlight's on......Sane, Mind and Samaritans - 3 mental health and emotional support organisations

Read on for all the details and/or download your personal copy here

What are they?

All these organisations are charities which provide help and support for mental health. In each case, their websites will tell you more about them but here is our overview.

 
Mind (www.mind.org.uk) has the ambition to support people with mental health problems and ensure they are respected.  Mind is a national organisation with affiliated local Minds – each local mind provides services and resources tailored to the needs in their area, for example, practical help with housing, benefits, advice as well as counseling and advocacy. 
 
Mind runs two helplines - an ‘info line’ and a ‘legal line’ and a text information service, all open from 9am to 6pm weekdays.  Staff help callers to find the right services or information locally. Mind supports mental health in the workplace and provides training and consultancy to businesses to help promote and raise awareness of mental health wellbeing. Information packs are also provided for teachers and lecturers.
 
Mind also has a wide range of resources to download or buy, covering all aspects of mental health, helpfully covered on its website ‘mental health A-Z’.
 
Sane’s (www.sane.org.uk) aim is to help reduce the stigma of living with mental health problems. It also runs a helpline, which is open every day from 6pm to 11pm and hosts a discussion forum so that people can share their stories and get support from each other. 
 
Sane promotes the idea of seeking help early to prevent relapses in mental health conditions and runs a ‘black dog’ programme for people with depression.
 
Sane also provides information and resources and undertakes a great deal of research, for example into suicidal feelings and self-harm behaviours.
 
Samaritans (www.samaritans.org) is also an example of a national charity with local branches. It is open 24 hours every day for confidential emotional support and listening for anyone in distress or despair, whatever the cause. Its service is provided by trained volunteers. 
 
People can telephone and email nationally or locally, or visit any branch in person during its opening hours. Samaritans is non-judgemental, confidential and committed to people making their own decisions about their needs, wherever possible.
 
Samaritans works nationally to raise awareness of emotional support to reduce suicide feelings and behaviours, for example by providing a partnership with Network Rail, workplace courses and work in schools. It also provides its listening service at many national and local events, for example, festivals and county shows.

How can it help me with living with diabetes?

Diabetes can often bring with it emotional issues – for example anxiety at the time of diagnosis, worry about the future, fear of complications, relationship or work problems. Sometimes diabetes comes along when you already have a mental health diagnosis or experience, and vice versa.  It’s quite common for anxiety and depression to develop when you have diabetes, for example.

All of these need help and support, but it can be that the medical needs of your diabetes tend to take centre stage, with less attention to your mental and emotional health.  So one way these organisations can help is to reverse this and help you prioritise your mental and emotional health in more detail, talk about your feelings and reactions to having diabetes and / or look at treatment and therapy options, depending on your situation.

Another way they can help is by providing you with information to help make sense of your feelings and to better understand any mental health problems you have or develop. In the case of Mind and Sane, discussion forums help you to get and give support to other people and they have a range of practical services you can access.  In the case of Samaritans, you can call any time of the day or night, so you can be confident of getting someone to talk to about your feelings, even ‘out of hours’.

How can it help me with working with diabetes?

Most obviously, knowing about these organisations and how they help, will help you to pass on this information to people with diabetes you are in contact with, when you think they may need the kind of support they offer.  In turn, this will help people to look after themselves and get support that may not be easy to access or provided in the NHS, for example, counselling or therapy, advice on preventing relapses, detailed information about treatment options.  They can provide a useful point of contact between your scheduled consultations, perhaps.

As a health professional or staff member, you will have skills which are valued by these organisations among their volunteers. It may be that you are looking for a new outlet for your skills and volunteers in these organisations are always being sought.  In turn, you may also gain new skills and perspectives from volunteering, which can help in your NHS work with diabetes.

Finally, working in diabetes can be stressful and bring its own effects on your mental health and emotions. These organisations are for everyone and their resources and services may offer you ways to help you look after yourself in order to carry on caring for others.

Our 3 top reasons to give  a try:

 1.    They can provide additional support, information and services, which help both people with diabetes and health professionals

2.    Emotional and mental health issues are often the ‘poor relation’ in diabetes care. These organisations can help to change that and give people ‘somewhere to go’

3.    All the organisations are highly respected, freely accessible, respect confidentiality and anonymity and, in the case of Mind and Samaritans, have a local presence

Any down sides?

None that we can think of:  among these 3 organisations, there seems to be something for all of us. 

That’s it for now! Hope you like our take on Mind, Sane and Samaritans, and watch out for another ‘Self Health Spotlight’ in May!

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'my health apps' - March 2015

Welcome to our all-new monthly spotlight on an organisation or resource that can help us all in our quest for better health!

The March spotlight's on......'my health apps' website

Read on for all the details and/or download your personal copy here

What is it?

‘my health apps’ is a website featuring a collection of health related apps ‘tried and tested by people like you’, as the strapline to the site explains.  The site is an educational resource provided by an independent UK company called ‘Patient Voice’, who specialise in ensuring the user voice is heard in all aspects of healthcare. Their work includes providing advice and resource on what people want from their healthcare and in particular from technology and help to improve this. The company has offices in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands and work with organisations and individuals, to help provide trustworthy, convenient information about the apps available to help with health – as they say, the site provides ‘the best healthcare apps, recommended by empowered consumers, patients and carers’.

Each app featured on the website is accompanied by testimony from organisations or individuals, and given ‘heart ratings’, according to what they like most about the app.  There can be up to 5 ‘hearts’ awarded,  using the following criteria:  helps to control your condition; trustworthy; easy to use; gives the chance to network with others; can use regularly.  This feature gives an instant visual idea of what is liked most in an individual app.  Other information about the app includes its developer, country of origin, languages it is available in and its cost.

The apps included on the website are ordered according to a wide range of different categories of health – arranged on the home page and ranging from ‘bones and muscles’ through ‘staying healthy’, ‘mental health’,  ‘sexual health’ to ‘other long term conditions’ and many others in between!

Selecting the category of your choice, brings up a sub menu of topics – for example, diabetes is included in ‘other long term conditions’, anxiety is included in ‘mental health’, etc, which means that it is really easy to navigate to the apps that relate to the condition you need. You can then order the apps included in your category by alphabet, number of ‘heart’ ratings, cost, language and platform.  Once you’ve narrowed down in this way, you can investigate each individual app’s details, including more reviews and which ‘hearts’ it covers, and make your choice!

How can it help me with living with diabetes?

People often say how difficult it is to make sense of the vast array of information about diabetes, including support tools such as apps – which are reliable? how well do they work?, for example.  This website provides some answers and makes it easier to filter what’s available, and gain reliable testimony from those who’ve tested them out.  It could be a really useful ‘cross reference’ for apps that you’ve seen elsewhere, too.

‘my health apps’ also covers many other aspects of health that might affect, or be affected by your diabetes, for example, digestive disorders such as coeliac disease or heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation.  There are sections with apps relating to ‘staying healthy’ and ‘me and my doctor’, which both feature heavily in living with diabetes. In this way, the website is a kind of ‘one stop shop’ for helping yourself.

You can also submit apps for inclusion on the website, so if your favourite one isn’t featured, you can let the team know.  There’s a section for developers, so if you have an idea or have built an app to help you in living with diabetes, there’s opportunity for that, too. Patient Voices want to alert developers to what apps people need and want.

How can it help me with working with diabetes?

It’s becoming a bit of a theme, but these apps can help healthcare staff as much as anybody, to stay healthy or deal with your personal health related conditions – the website is for everyone, so do try it yourself!

Apart from that, you can reliably recommend the site to people, because it is endorsed by NHS Choices and carefully edited by a reliable company.

Knowing about ‘my health apps’ could also give you the opportunity of starting a conversation with people (in consultations, clinics or education sessions, for example) about the apps they use, prefer or maybe would like to see developed.  This is an area that people, especially young adults, say is not always explored with them, and also that healthcare staff are not always confident they understand enough to broach the subject.  So, the site can help on both counts!

Our 3 top reasons to give  a try:

1.    It’s very quick and easy to access and navigate

2.    The ‘hearts’ rating system helps give a personal view

3.    It includes apps for both mental and physical health

Any down sides?

As ever, just a couple of small things:

1.    Some of the diabetes-related apps are American or European, making the terminology or measurements (eg HbA1c) different from those in the UK, so this is worth bearing in mind

2.    It’s useful to remember that hearts are given for what is liked most about the app, so, for example, where the ‘is trustworthy’ heart rating is not given, it doesn’t mean it’s ‘untrustworthy’!

That’s it for now! Hope you like our take on 'my health apps' and watch out for another ‘Self Health Spotlight’ in April!

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