The Get Better Together Program – Fall 2022
By Roslyn Cullen, GBT Coordinator
Until you have personally lived with an on-going health issue, it’s difficult to know just what life is like for those who do. Simple tasks and daily routines can sometimes feel overwhelming. To say the least, life can be challenging. Symptoms that you experience can have a big impact on your ability to carry out everyday tasks. The Get Better Together program can help you navigate the challenges and changes that come with having a chronic health condition. It does this by providing you with tools to become a better self-manager and assists you with regaining some of the control that your condition has taken away.
Over the years of coordinating and facilitating the Get Better Together program, I am always so excited to hear how participants quality of life has improved after taking this program. Learning and applying key tools such as action planning, problem solving, decision making, communicating and much more, has helped people gain the ability to improve their lives and manage their symptoms.
The best way to promote this program is to share some feedback from participants over this past year…
This program almost certainly has something for everyone, since it touches on so many of the things that we can do for ourselves. It is empowering to learn that we can take so many doable small steps to improve our lives.
I really appreciate the other participants in the program, and their different approaches to similar problems. Also, the book is a fantastic tool that I will use myself and share with others for years to come. ~ participant in the Aug 2021 virtual program
Presenters are knowledgeable, helpful, supportive, compassionate, encouraging. Liked working with the group to solve my own and others problems/concerns. Enjoyed seeing my own and others positive results. ~ participant in the Aug 2021 virtual program
I really loved the class, it helped boost my confidence and self-esteem ~ participant in the in-person Aug 2021 GBT program
I love the absolute acceptance of people as individuals. There is no judgement on how you perceive your condition, whether or not you reach goals, whether you are feeling positive or negative that day. You are accepted for being you on that day and it feels good. ~ participant in the August 2021 virtual program.
I was hesitant to take this course and thought about it for a while before I signed up. I am so glad I finally did because I learnt so much and enjoyed it! ~ participant in the November 2021 virtual program
My advice to others would be to take the 6-week course! It is reassuring to hear how people with chronic conditions face the same challenges regardless of the diagnosis. It helped me take control of areas of my life that I can control and increased my self-compassion for areas I can’t control. I would 100% recommend taking this course and my life has improved because I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried it. Thank you GBT I am forever grateful! ~ participant in the November 2021 virtual program
This has helped me to be understanding and improve my relationship with all of my care providers, and I now look forward to working WITH them. ~ participant in the November 2021 virtual program
The program has really boosted my confidence in finding different ways to cope with my health issues. While I know I may not be able to solve all the issues on my own, I have now gained some very helpful tools…and most importantly, the hope and support to keep on going!
Thank you so much to the program facilitators. They made me feel comfortable and encouraged and delivered the information in a way that was practical and easy for me to understand. I hope others will have the opportunity to learn from this program too! I am also very grateful for the text book … some very useful and interesting resources to keep reading up on. Thank you!!! ~ participant of the virtual March 2022 virtual program
Feeling like no one understands what you’re dealing with is a really hard place to be. I’ve always found being open to connecting with others in vulnerable ways extremely rewarding and ultimately helps me find my way through some hard moments. Loved being a part of this group. ~ participant in the March 2022 virtual program.
The Get Better Together program is a 6-week program, where participants meet once a week to connect on topics such as fatigue, managing symptoms, physical activity, dealing with difficult emotions, making decisions, healthy eating, medication use and much more.
A great component of this program is that it is led by 2 facilitators, a Health Promotion staff as well as a peer leader who themselves took the program and felt it helped them so much that they took training to become a facilitator.
It is offered both in-person and virtual using Microsoft Teams. Allowing people to connect from the comfort of their own home or get out in a more social atmosphere.
Get Better Together is suitable for adults living with a range of health conditions, including diabetes, depression, arthritis, heart disease, asthma, depression, anxiety and many others. The program is free and participants receive a free resource book to keep.
If you’re looking for that boost in improving your health and want to start with small doable steps, I encourage you to take this program.
Get Better Together has an upcoming virtual session starting October 26. This session will run on Wednesdays from October 26 to November 30 from 9:30 to 11:30 am.
For more information about Get Better Together or dates of upcoming programs feel free to contact Roslyn Cullen at 204-523-3246 / [email protected] or call our toll-free line at 1-877-509-7852.