Programme Overview - Living with a Chronic Conditoon Course
Programme overview
Programme overview for our 6 week course to self-manage symptoms of living with a long term physical or mental health condition.
Week 1
- Overview of self-management and long term health conditions
- Fatigue and getting a good night's sleep
- Using your mind to manage symptoms
- Making an action plan
Week 2
- Making an action plan
- Feedback
- Problem solving
- Dealing with difficult emotions
- Physical activity and exercise
- Preventing falls
Week 3
- Making an action plan
- Feedback
- Physical activity and exercise
- Making decisions
- Pain management
- Healthy eating
Week 4
- Making an action plan
- Feedback
- Problem solving
- Physical activity and exercise
- Healthy eating
- Better breathing
- Communication skills
Week 5
- Using your mind to manage symptoms
- Making an action plan
- Feedback
- Healthy eating
- Communication skills
- Medication usage
- Dealing with low mood and depression
Week 6
- Using your mind to manage symptoms
- Feedback
- Making informed treatment decisions
- Working with your healthcare professionals
- Future plans
Out of course activity by session
Session 1
- Reading covered this session: Chapters 1 & 2, 5 and 6
- Practice using distraction.
Session 2
- Reading covered this session: Chapters 5
- Think about how you would like to start an exercise programme or increase the programme that you are now doing.
- You may want to keep a journal of your feelings.
- In Session 3, we will be talking about making decisions. Please think of something in your life for which you need to make a decision and have it ready for next week’s activity.
Session 3
- Reading covered this session: Chapters 1, 5, 7 and 10
- Choose one of the methods of monitoring exertion and check your exertion level during different activities and exercises.
- In Session 4, we will look at what we eat for at least 2 days during this week.
- We suggest using one day during the week and one day on the weekend because our eating habits are often different on the weekends. We will share what we learned. This information will be useful when we talk about healthy eating next week.
Session 4
- Reading covered this session: Chapters 2,4 5,10 and 11
- Keep the food diary again for one weekday and one weekend day.
- Look at your portions and the number of calories, and grams of fat and salt you are eating, especially saturated fats.
Session 5
- Reading covered this session: pages Chapters 5,6, 10 and 13
- Make a personal medication list, with names of all your medications, the healthcare professional who prescribed it, dosage, date started, reason for taking it, and any drug allergies.
- We invite you to call, email or write a letter to your healthcare professional about what you have accomplished during this programme.
- You don’t have to mail or show these letters, but please bring them with you next week to use during the sharing activity. If you mail the letter to your healthcare professional, though, it would help to spread the word. Also, we would like your permission to share your letters with the organisation representatives to gain support for funding these programmes. Please tell us if you are giving us permission to share your letter.
Session 6
- Reading covered this session: Chapter 6, 11 and 13
Contact our self-care team to find out more information about our health and wellbeing courses, including how to book your place.