Audrey’s best
decision A training course was literally a life-saver for Audrey Best, who had discussed going abroad to end her life because her ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis were having such a negative effect on her life. Her pain was severe and she was deeply depressed.
Debbie rides again
Debbie Hinds went from a highly active person working with the family show horse business to losing her whole reason for life when her arthritis pain became severe and reduced her mobility. She was at a low ebb when we met her at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2008. After a change of treatment and
some simple pain management techniques, Debbie was transformed when she revisited our stand in 2009. She had bought a horse, was riding again and loving life. Helplines manager Jo Cumming says: ‘This is such an excellent example of someone progressing her own self- management with us to support her.’
Training the trainers In the 12 months from September 2008, we trained 38 volunteers to give training courses to help others. The fact that most of our volunteers have arthritis and understand what participants are going through, makes the courses all the more powerful. We’ve worked closely with Primary Care Trusts across the country and are often consulted by external organisations for advice on self-management training. Examples are Birmingham City Council and Derbyshire where we trained 21 people.
On course to cope with pain
More people have learned how to manage their own arthritis thanks to 155 courses in the UK in 2009. In all we helped 1,386 people through our different courses. Apart from Challenging Pain, which is owned by Arthritis Care, our courses are operated under licence from Stanford University, California.
A survey showed that learning to cope with pain is the top reason for attending a course and the largest single group who attend are people with osteoarthritis, although
conditions range from gout to depression. Fatigue levels improved up to 10% in some people after a course and people exercised more.
It costs £1.09million to put on our courses. However, in 2009 our annual income from the courses rose £96,000 to £480,000, most of which is from commissioned contracts. In 2010, we are aiming for £550,000, and we will also make courses more relevant locally as regions and nations will be able to decide appropriate courses for their areas.
In September 2009 she and her husband decided to attend a Challenging Arthritis course, funded by Gateshead Arthritis Care support group. She wrote to tell us how the knowledge she had gained had completely changed her way of thinking. ‘Seeing how the other gallant people in the group courageously coped and managed their lives, I felt ashamed and vowed to carry on and live life to the best of my ability. These courses are an inspiration to everyone you help.’
Creative writing
competition Author Maeve Binchy and actress and Arthritis Care president, Jane Asher, judged our third annual creative writing competition. It raises awareness of arthritis and encourages the writers themselves to explore their feelings about their arthritis as one author testifies: ‘Writing is a lifeline for me. It helps me deal with my arthritis and its impact on my life.’
Medicine and Me
Medicine and Me, a conference run by Arthritis Care and the Royal Society of Medicine, provided a forum for people with arthritis and their families to discuss issues about self- management and treatment choices with 160 health professionals.
Arthritis Care Annual Report 2009 | 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53