Virtual events on health and wellbeing...
THE Southport and Formby Cancer Information and Support Centre has sadly had to cancel the Health and Wellbeing Events that we usually hold three times a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Health and Wellbeing Event is a service model that takes the form of a supportive event to help prepare people affected by cancer, their carers, and their family and friends for the transition through their cancer journey.
The event brings together a range of service providers from health, social, community and voluntary sectors. The main aims are:
to provide information and advice relating to health and wellbeing,
to signpost those attending to local resources and services including local and national charities, both clinical and non-clinical, and
to facilitate interaction with other people affected by cancer.
Understandably, although the pandemic seems to have taken priority over everyone’s lives at the moment, people are still being diagnosed with cancer, needing our support more than ever.
Therefore, in collaboration with our centre in Southport, the West Lancashire Macmillan Centre and the Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust, we are hosting not just one Health and Wellbeing Event but a whole month of virtual sessions throughout November.
We are currently trying to arrange sessions to cover as many different areas as possible. For example, sessions will be delivered by clinical nurse specialists from the hospital.
There will also be sessions from services that deliver support locally such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Sefton Advocacy, and clinical psychology to name but a few.
We are also hoping to deliver a number of sessions covering more practical advice and support, for example sessions around the benefits of exercise, fatigue, skin care and emotional support.
We do acknowledge, however, that not everyone has access to the internet and so we will also be producing a directory of all the local organisations and services that are available across Southport and Formby and West Lancashire providing support to people affected by cancer.
In addition the Southport and Formby Centre is still providing support either face to face in the centre on an appointment basis, or by telephone.
The last few months have certainly been a very difficult time for so many.
Sadly, people have been diagnosed and treated throughout lockdown without ever meeting their medical team in person, people have been shielding and so isolated from their loved ones even when being in hospital, people have been struggling with practical things like getting their shopping done – and it doesn’t seem as though things are going to improve as we move into winter.
For more about the Health and Wellbeing sessions in November including a timetable, or information about how to access support through the centre, call either Tanya on 07976 167188 or Julia on 07947 630654 – or email sfccg.macmillancic@nhs.net