Healthbox Updates for 2019 – New Sessions for The New Year

Last year the 'Healthbox' team (funded by West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, CCG) ran a COPD/Asthma group in The Vault at St Alban's Church. The sessions were held on Thursday mornings but not advertised in the normal way as participants needed to book in advance, thereby allowing the team to set up a detailed discussion about an individual's medical history, together with some physical tests, thus ensuring that individuals were safe to participate.

The team is planning some new sessions for 2019 – i.e. for people with heart problems (heart disease, atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure), arthritis, osteoporosis, Parkinson's and other neurological conditions.

All interested parties can contact the team and be placed on the waiting list.

Once there are sufficient numbers, then these other classes will be started as soon as possible.

• Participants can be referred from their GP/nurse/other health professional (all local surgeries/community care teams etc have been given the information on how to refer), or
• Participants can self-refer by either calling 0151 355 0205 or emailing sheena@healthboxcic.com mentioning 'Living Well with Long-term Conditions'.

Classes involve exercise (adapted to suit varying abilities) and educational sessions (e.g. nutritional advice, healthy living tips, relaxation tips, how to self-manage symptoms, when to see a medical professional, how to manage breathlessness, how to use an inhaler, what exercise helps improve bone strength, what foods to avoid with certain medications etc). The topics will vary depending on the needs of the group and which conditions are to be addressed.

Classes are funded by West Cheshire CCG and each participant receives 12 weeks fully-funded which means there is no charge/fee during this time.

If you have any further questions, then please email sheena@healthboxcic.com