Support 4 Support Groups!
Self Help Queensland supports people to find their own solutions to improve wellbeing. We connect people to support groups across a broad range of health issues, assist people to start new groups and work with support groups to build their capacity. SHQ promotes community awareness of the benefits of self help groups for the wellbeing of individuals coping with adverse life circumstances.
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Self Help Queensland - an amazing year of variety and diversity
There are an amazing number of different support groups - in 2018-2019 we have connected with over 400 groups this year. You range in size from 6 to 600 members, you deal with all kinds of health and wellbeing issues and you support so many different people!
We've talked with people from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait, and Sunnybank locals too. Through our funding from the Australian government's "Fostering Integration" program, we have reached out to multicultural support groups and organisations in Sunnybank area, and assisted people from diverse backgrounds to join support groups. Social Work student Shiwei is pictured below, planning health topics in Mandarin. Also, in January, we have a healthy exercise option for teenagers at the Sunnybank Hall ... have a try at African Dance!
We've talked to people about Meniere's, brain injury, bipolar and lupus - and that's in the past few weeks. We've been approached by people to start groups about chronic fatigue, foster carers and IVF. A highlight of the year was one comment to Selina that she was better than Wikipedia!
As 2019 draws to a close, we hope you have had a memorable year. Our Annual Report is available on our website.
Best wishes from the Self Help team,
Selina, Seble, Shiwei, Melody, Joe, Kathy, Chris, Lil and Justin.
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Q&A: What SHQ was asked about recently...
Q: We were asked where to find a guest speaker about diabetes?
A: There is the Australian Diabetes Educators Association which lists consultants all around Australia.
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A diverse collection of news and reviews
Learning another language
Studies show that being bilingual and learning more than one language improves your brain function. And, it's not too late, while children may pick up languages more easily, improved brain function is also visible in adults! Having a bilingual brain can delay the onset of dementia, by several years. So, maybe a resolution for 2020?
Disrupting disadvantage
There's a new report, which explores four key ways to disrupt disadvantage, creative ways of breaking cycles that are stuck. The four ways are: use data as a tool, increase the safety nets, improve navigation of support options and robust program evaluation. It outlines issues in disadvantage and ways forward. Maybe not a holiday read, but an interesting overview of changing the system.
Neighbour Day 2020
The theme of Neighbour Day 2020 is Social Connection, a theme which should resonate with all support groups. At a recent meeting, we heard the story of someone who moved to a new area and couldn't find a group like she used to have at her old place. So, she started one and quickly acquired a really large and diverse group who shared a common passion... for running. It can be scary to reach out, but Relationships Australia are collecting tips and stories to share about connecting. Consider adding your group story.
A hoard, or a collection - unpack the differences
Thirty percent of people like to collect, but hoarding disorder has more differences than common aspects, such as cluttering living spaces, difficulty making decisions about stuff and the items are rarely used or admired. If you have someone in your life who has hoarding symptoms, our top suggestion for a Christmas present is to buy a ticket or schedule an activity that you can do together. This is quickly used and takes the things out of your interaction.
Measles - the outbreak in Queensland
Queensland has 63 confirmed measles cases at the end of November. One third of the cases were acquired from overseas, and Samoa has declared a State of Emergency. If you have travel plans this Christmas, make sure you check your immunisation status and take precautions in transit.
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Bushfires - an important reminder about emergency planning
There have been a number of cases during this fire season where people didn't realise they faced this risk, or underestimated the speed at which an emergency can unfold. Now is the time to think about your emergency plan. If you are not in a bushfire zone, other kinds of emergencies are still a possibility, so think about and discuss risks, exits, backups and plans with your household, your neighbours, your workplaces and your groups. Let's work together to keep everyone safe.
Common issues that can occur are:
- Information is not current (eg. an assembly area is blocked off for roadworks)
- No-one shared the plan with the new person (eg. the temporary receptionist doesn't know where the first aid kit is)
- Requirements have changed (eg. an exercise class has attracted many older participants)
- Plans don't account for the conditions (eg. the emergency contact list is on computer when the power is out)
The time to ask questions is before an emergency happens. While there are legal responsibilities and policy requirements for public places, work spaces and homes, keeping everyone safe is important work for everyone.
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Medicine review - dealing with a diversity of pills!
Are you coping well with diverse medications? Do you know about Medicare item 900? It is called Home Medicine Review.
In November, Theresa Loo, medicines review pharmacist, was guest speaker at the Happy Seniors’ Club in Sunnybank. Have you heard of a Home Medicines Review? No? None of their group had ever heard of it. Basically, there is a Medicare process you can access via a GP referral where an independent pharmacist comes to your house and reviews your medicines. It creates a collaboration between you, your GP and a Pharmacist. It is aimed people who:
• Are using a lot of different medicines, including over-the-counter or complementary medicines
• have multiple diverse health conditions or prescribers, OR
• have difficulty managing medicines because of disability, dexterity or literacy issues.
Theresa also shared NPS Medicinewise top five questions to ask your healthcare provider before you go ahead with a test or procedure…
Do I really need this [test/procedure/treatment]?
What are the risks?
Are there simpler, safer options?
What happens if I don’t do anything?
What are the costs?
Thank you to Theresa for sharing her expertise with us all. Theresa can be contacted at thepharmacistedit@gmail.com or speak to your local pharmacist for a referral.
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Diverse activities - talking is only one option!
There are many groups that we connect with that add exercise to their group. On Wednesday, one group we visited stopped for 15 minutes of stretching before heading out to lunch. The recommendations for heart health are for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, but just doing 15 minutes a day is a great start. We are having one back to school exercise activity in Sunnybank, but we hope all of you can add movement to your day that is fun in 2020.
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Support for your group: celebrate diversity
Diversity is a word with many meanings and contexts. Everyone is different and that makes life interesting.
A few ideas
- Get out your calendar - there are many different days for health, history, environment, cultural and indigenous awareness. It would be hard to do them all, but pick out a few. You could vote as a group. There are always lots of good resources and events produced by the organisers, and they want you to share them. It also can help you to feel part of something bigger.
- Collaboration - have a shared meeting or activity with a group or people that are different to you. It is surprising how many ideas we can learn from others. The saying goes, don't reinvent the wheel. Self Help Queensland is happy to assist groups to connect with each other.
- Accessibility - Have you got great signs, symbols and posters around your space (virtual as well)? Think about signs that are helpful to people with disabilities, posters that represent diversity and gender balance. If you can, meet in spaces that are wheelchair accessible.
- Reading Lists - Have you explored a topic from a different viewpoint? What do older people in Italy do to stay well? What news is featured in the LQBTIQ news?
- Warm up exercises - there are many options. Just one option is to bring an object and discuss how everyone is connected to it. At one gathering this year, we found that a boomerang was well known to someone from South Sudan, with a different name.
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Have a great Christmas break, Self Help Queensland closes on December 20th and will reopen on January 7th. |
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