Quality of Life Programme

Who is the Programme for?

The Quality of Life programme is for adults 18 years and over. It is suitable for you if you are:

• living with one or more long-term health conditions (Click here for list of examples)
• caring for someone with a long-term health condition, depression, intellectual disability or dementia
• feeling low, anxious, unhappy or depressed

Please note: The programme is not suitable for anyone with intellectual impairment or with advanced dementia.

About the Programme

The Quality of Life Programme is a series of 6 workshops which teach practical health-related skills.

There is one workshop per week which lasts two and a half hours. Refreshments are provided.

The workshops aim to:

• Help you manage your own health as best you can
• Help you get the most from your health service and health care professionals
• Help you live as well as possible with your health condition
• Support carers in their own health and wellbeing

There is a maximum of 18 per group. The workshops are held in community settings such as resource centres, public services centres, community hospitals or church halls.

People with different health conditions attend together.

The programme Tutors are specially trained to facilitate the workshops. Most of the Tutors are people who have personal experience of living with a long-term physical or mental health condition.

The programme teaches self care and skills such as:

• Dealing with pain and fatigue
• Coping with difficult emotions and feelings of depression
• Relaxation and breathing techniques
• Exercising appropriate to your ability
• Healthy eating
• Managing medications
• Communicating effectively with family, friends and health care professionals.
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Goal-setting and action planning

The Programme was developed by Stanford University, California.  It is used worldwide and has a large body of research evidence to prove it is effective.

Locations

The Quality of Life Programme runs in Counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan.

It is held in venues such as community resource centres, community hospitals, church halls etc. The programme runs for 6 weeks in the same venue.

Cost

The programme is free to attend.  Participants are invited to purchase the companion book at a subsidised cost of €10, or the book can be borrowed for the duration of the programme.

Access

To register call Helen or Martina: 087-3314159 or 087-3964307

If there is a programme available you may be offered a place straight away. If not your details will be put on a register and you will be informed when there is a programme scheduled convenient to you. 

What participants are saying about the programme

“Feeling a lot more positive and mindful of myself.”

“Taking care to eat well and prevent falls.”

“It has given me skills to cope better with my illness.”

“Made me realise I am not on my own.”

“I learned that by using the self-management tool box I could assert control over my inflammatory bowel disease.”

“This course has helped me cope with my COPD in that it provided tools to improve my condition. More of the same please!”

“It made me look at my life differently.”

“Sometimes one can feel overwhelmed with life and its challenges. This course empowered me to change my attitude.”

“I benefited greatly from this course and learned a great deal from it… acceptance and positivity…I found it so helpful.”