Last year, Kathy says, her fibromyalgia and chronic pain had taken control: “They determined my daily routine rather than I determined it.”

But after enrolling in a program run by Canberra Health Services (CHS), she has found a new lease on life.

Take Control – Live Well is a free, three-week group program designed to give participants the skills and confidence to take control of their chronic conditions, connect with others, and get support to make changes and live well. The first program for the first half of this year begins in early March; places are still available.

“It certainly helps, because it’s given me a more positive mental attitude towards the problem, but also given me some ideas, goals, how to plan things, so that there are periods when I actually get relief,” Kathy said. “It makes things more worthwhile.”

The program helps people with chronic conditions – including diabetes, arthritis, mental health conditions, and chronic fatigue – to navigate the health system, and empowers them to feel more in control and more of an active partner in their health care, explains Chelsea Hillenaar, CHS’ Community Care Health Promotion Officer.

“It is quite good for people who are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, and are not sure where to start,” Ms Hillenaar said. “They’ve reported that the program has been the kick-off or the motivation they need to get started on making some changes… A lot of people know what they need to do, but actually doing it is the tricky part.”

The program is run both online and in-person:

• Belconnen Community Health Centre, beginning Monday 4 March, at 1pm
• Phillip Community Health Centre, beginning Tuesday 9 April, at 9.30am
• Online, starting Wednesday 8 May, at 4.30pm
• Gungahlin Community Health Centre, starting Friday 7 June, at 9.30am

Carers are welcome to attend.

More programs will be released over the next few months until November.

Participants will have the opportunity to write their own personal plan and receive a handbook with useful resources. For three months after the program ends, they can receive regular SMS/text message support to help them reach their goals. A reunion session will take place after three months.

Any adult who lives in the ACT and has at least one chronic condition (lasting three or more months) can join the program. You do not need to be referred by a doctor; you can refer yourself to the program.

The program is facilitated by nursing and allied health staff from CHS’ community care team, Ms Hillenaar said. All facilitators are trained in the Flinders Program for self-management of chronic conditions and regularly work with people with chronic conditions.

“It goes through how you manage the impacts of your chronic conditions on your life: impacts on emotional health, mental health, physical health, social wellbeing,” Ms Hillenaar said. “It looks at: do you know where to find accurate information about your condition and medication? Do you know what to do when things don’t go right? Do you know what services are out there, and how to access them? If there are any gaps, how can we help you to fill those gaps?”

“If anyone has the opportunity to do it, it really is worthwhile doing,” Kathy said. “I am more in control. Before, [my condition] defined me. Whereas now, knowing I can’t do something doesn’t mean there aren’t things that I can do. It’s very important to keep doing the things you can, even if there are things you can’t.”

Or even take up new hobbies, such as painting.

“The thing that really astounded me,” Kathy said, “was when they asked: ‘Oh, what’s something you enjoy doing?’ I said: ‘I’ve always wanted to do watercolour.’ I thought, as a pensioner, there’s no way I can afford to go to art lessons or anything like that. But Sarah, our facilitator, stepped through with things that I could actually do. So, we made up a plan of doing a watercolour painting within a month.

“When I started doing it, while I was doing the drawing and doing the painting, I forgot all about my other problems. It’s really surprising that just taking your mind off your daily chores really helped. That’s a very simple thing, and I was surprised how beneficial it was.”

Kathy has continued her watercolours. “I’ve mixed it with another part of taking control, which is to get more exercise within your ability. We might drive down to one of the lakes and go for a walk and take some photos; then I do a drawing from the photos I’ve taken. So we’re getting out, we’re getting exercise, and getting material to do the paintings. I’ve kept doing it, and I want to keep doing it.

“Before, I just didn’t want to get out at all. The thought of going for a walk just didn’t appeal to me. But now it’s like, let’s find a lake, let’s find a bit of woodland, go to Hall, and walk around and find something interesting to get a photo of.”

The program also provides a valuable social element, Ms Hillenaar said. Many people who have chronic conditions feel alone and isolated. “The big thing is that they aren’t alone, that there are others going through it.”

There were six people in Kathy’s group. “What I found really good,” she said, “was because there were a few people there, you could bounce ideas off each other; and also, you found out that other people have similar problems to what you do. Even though their chronic condition might be different, the problems that result from it are similar. So that was a bit of a validation. It wasn’t something just in my head, it was reality. You’re not alone. There are other people there. And with the facilitator, or just doing the course, you realise there’s help out there as well.”

For instance, Kathy could see a dietitian, podiatrists, or physiotherapists if she needed to; all are community health services.

To register for the Take Control – Live Well program, call Central Health Intake on (02) 5124 9977. For more information, email [email protected].

This year, Canberra Health Services will partner with Flinders University to research the effectiveness of the Flinders Program. Anyone who comes into the program will be invited to participate in the research, Ms Hillenaar said, but there is no pressure to take part.