Change for the Better

Conference about the menopause for women with learning disabilities family & paid carers

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

Background Women with learning disabilities go through the menopause, often at an earlier age, but do they get the right support to help them understand what is happening and deal with their symptoms? Do family or paid carers have enough information or experience to support through the menopause? It was these two questions that inspired us to hold the conference. We felt from talking to women that there was a lack of information for them to go through this very bewildering time. The majority of women without learning disabilities find this period of their lives challenging, but most women are able to seek information, talk to their friends or health professionals. We wanted the women we work with to have access to accessible information and for carers to have more confidence in their support role. New Ideas put their ideas for the conference on to facebook and twitter and within a day had enough interest from some of our followers to get a planning group established and start working on our ideas. Planning Group:

Denise mussonNew Ideas Manager Hazel Ratcliffe Ratcliffe Consultancy Kate Morrison WCAVA Operational Manager Sally Evan- Acute Liaison Nurse George Eliot Hospital Anita Murphy Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust Rebecca Turner Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust Maria Beale KeyRing Tina Oakes New Ideas Advocacy & Empowerment Worker

We expected the conference to be for about 60 women and were overwhelmed by the response and had 90 women register. This was a mixture of women with learning disabilities family or paid carers and a few health care professionals.
Change for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013

How do you feel about the menopause? At the start of the day we asked everyone how they were feeling about the menopause. Were they worried?

AltChange for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013

This workshop allowed women to talk about their own breasts and experiences as well as teaching them how to self examine using the breast vest. A number of women admitted to not examining their breasts, but importantly many of them said they would start to do it on a regular basis.

The workshop was run 3 times during the day by Anita Murphy and 28 women took part. We gave out leaflets about caring for your breasts, buying a well-fitting bra from Breast Cancer Awareness and an easy read leaflet about having a mammogram designed by the H Team from Grapevine in Coventry. All support workers and family carers were given a special pack with guidance on helping women look after their breasts. Issues from workshop:

Women dont examine themselves because they are afraid of what they will find. Breasts often increase in size during the menopause or change shape. Women living in supported accommodation are not getting support to examine their breasts.

Support for women with learning disabilities who have breast cancer is variable across the country.

We have passed on these findings to Healthwatch Warwickshire so that they can address how to get women living in supported living help to self-examine.
Change for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013

This workshop was delivered by staff from Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust. Over 3 sessions 49 women heard all about the connections between mood and the food they eat. They did a quiz to find out if they were emotional controlled or balanced eaters. They were given advice on having a 5 day mindful eating plan to help give them healthier eating habits.

This workshop was delivered by Becky Turner & Elaine Jones from Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust. 42 women took part across the 3 sessions. They learnt about the levels of fat, sugar and salt in everyday foods. It certainly gave them Food for Thought about the role that diet plays in how body shape and weight changes during and after the menopause.

This is what 1lb & 5lb of fat looks like.

Lots of promises about changing diets

Change for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013

This workshop was delivered by Annika Sanderson from Nuneaton & Bedworth Leisure Trust. 27 women took part in the 2 sessions. Annika took them through some gentle exercises that can be done sitting down. She explained the importance of doing a little exercise throughout and after the menopause to keep healthy and strengthen bones.

This workshop was only run once but was very popular with 19 women taking part. Tina from New Ideas did the 1st half of the session to get women thinking about how great they are. Then Kate from Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust took over and took the group through a 20 minute relaxation routine. She got everyone smelling lavender to see how smells are important to how we are feeling.

Lots of promises that the women are going to start looking after themselves and take some ME TIME.

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

This workshop was run by Izzy Leighton a speech and language therapist. She taught the women a number of different MAKATON signs to help them talk about their menopause symptoms. 15 women took part.

These 2 sessions were run by Maria Beale & Jane Fraser from KeyRing. Jane shared her experiences of going through the menopause and talked about the poor level of support she had. Maria then spoke about how she supports women. The groups came up with a check list for other support workers. 29 women took part in these workshops.

The checklist is being sent to Healthwatch Warwickshire and will be available on our website www.newideasadvocacy.org.uk

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

During the day Sally and Emma from George Eliot Hospital / Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust did 14 mini health checks.

At lunchtime were we able to offer everyone a bit of pampering thanks to AVON who did little makeovers and manicures; we also had aromatherapy hand massages. Tina ran a belly dancing session.

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

Guest Speakers
Hazel Ratcliffe spent the day talking to women and collecting their views. At the end of the morning she put some of the stories into the Menopause Rap getting everyone to join in. To close the day Hazel delivered the Menopause Monologues. Dr Geraldine Cassidy gave a very interesting talk on osteoporosis, Did you know that an adult has less bones than a baby? and that scans show that healthy bones look like Crunchies and bones with osteoporosis look more like

Aeros!
Dr. Caroline Wrigley gave a fabulous talk that explained the menopause in an easy way. We will also have some information on the website from Dr. Wrigley. All 3 guest speakers got the audience involved and we want to give them a big thank you from all of us.

Hazel Ratcliffe Dr. Geraldine Cassidy

Notes from the guest speakers be available on our website www.newideasadvocacy.org.uk

Dr Caroline Wrigley
Change for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013

The Menopause Rap

its all about the men pause o o o o o o pause o its all about men its all about women

o pause pause men men o o women

o o women

o o o o

The menopause RAP!

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

The Menopause Monologues

(taken from stories told during the day)
Its much better than the other the world smells differently sorry....haven't had it...can't help you its the chill before the power surge I can now blame my terrible memory on the menopause between the idea and the reality lies the shadow you get hot flushes your periods stop and thats fine with me I know some things about it from my mum I came along today so that I can be prepared for the menopause its the change its out of my control its great being here with lots of other women all in the boat its everyone responsibility to support each other its a good club to join no more periods there is life on the other side watch out for the OSTEOCLASTS fem fresh r us will I won't I shall I shan't I..... don't forget your Bridget Jones knickers or your hip protectors as they are sometimes called!!!
Change for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013

So what did the women think? At the end of the day we repeated the question How do you feel about the menopause? This time there were more green faces, which means some of them were feeling more informed and positive.

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

We asked everyone to write on postcards 1 thing they would change because of coming to the event. We will post them out at the end of the year, to remind everyone of what they had said.

Did women enjoy the day? We think they did

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

What people said about the day

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Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

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Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

What people said about the day

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Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

What people said about the day

Helps us to take care of ourselves.

to w o h nt iet r d a e l l dfu ve n a i H am e v ha

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Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

What people said about the day

A good day. Well executed workshops

ood g y ver a l; n ee ona b i s s s a rofe It h p h ot vel. b e l y l da sona r t e p ren d e n f a ring dif b e o h od t at t o . e g r G nals ps o i o s h s ks rofe wor p alth e h in

Ex tr We emely ll d one well org ani sed

Ive lot a lot today.

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

Thanks to: Everyone who delivered a workshop Everyone that helped with the pampering sessions at lunchtime. Bulkington Village Centre Staff All our sponsors: Richard Cadbury Charitable Trust Bedworth Lions Asda Rugby Avon Cosmetics

Change for the better

New Ideas Advocacy

24th September 2013

For more information about the event or about New Ideas Advocacy: www.newideasadvocacy.org.uk www.facebook.com/newideas www.twitter.com/newideas1 #change4better admin@newideasadvoaccy.org.uk Tele: 02476 361 800 Canterbury Building Exhall Grange Winding House Lane Ash Green CV7 9HP
Change for the better New Ideas Advocacy 24th September 2013