In the below blog Helen Ryan, Policy Officer, National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) provides an insight into ‘Well Now!’, 'a new innovative health and wellbeing course specially designed for people working in adult literacy and community education services': 

Well Now!

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) has recently launched a guide on how to run a ‘literacy friendly’ health and wellbeing course. The guide is called ‘Well Now!’ and is intended for adult literacy and community education services who wish to provide courses on health and wellbeing for adults. It’s free to download and can be easily adapted by any education and training board.

In particular the guide is intended for tutors, to help in planning, designing and facilitating the course. It is based on a very successful 10 week course that was given to older adults in South County Dublin, Ireland. This was delivered in partnership between a local authority (South Dublin County Council), a local adult education provider (An Cosán, Tallaght) and local health services and professionals.

How does the course work?

The ‘Well Now!’ guide outlines topics that can be covered on the course, with sample methods and activities. These are intended to inform, not prescribe, a tutors planning. The overall aim is to facilitate people to explore health and wellbeing topics as well as gain the knowledge and skills to support healthy choices.

In the guide NALA suggest a course with ten sessions and recommend 2½ - 3 hours per session on themes such as:

1. Getting started: my health and wellbeing
2. Getting active to keep well
3. Using our local health services
4. Eating well (Part 1)
5. Communicating in health settings
6. Keeping our brain active
7. Eating well (Part 2)
8. Using technology to communicate and learn about health
9. Local resources for health and wellbeing
10. Keeping well

In the ‘Well Now!’ guide we suggest using ‘literacy-friendly’ methods. This means using a variety of active learning methods and not relying on reading as the only or main channel for learning. We recommend including activities to increase confidence in communicating with health services and professionals; and supporting participants to become more confident in the language, reading, writing, numeracy and digital literacy involved in health settings and in exploring health topics.

Partnership approach

A partnership approach was key to the success of this programme. Everyone worked together in developing the programme so that it was learner-centred. For example, the core tutors on the programme had expertise in good adult literacy work and experience in facilitating groups and in participative adult learning methodologies. These tutors then worked in partnership with local health service professionals in planning the course. The health professional’s expert advice and information ensured that the key health messages were accurate and up to date. The tutors also invited guest speakers who were experts in particular areas of health and wellbeing to make a contribution to the course.

Improved health and wellbeing
 

As a result of being on the course, many of the participants said they had taken up some physical activity, such as walking, pitch and putt, dancing and tai chi. Others said they introduced new healthy eating habits into their daily routine after doing the course. In the evaluation of the course people said that the course improved their confidence in communicating with healthcare providers. For example, having done the course participants felt better prepared to ask relevant questions during visits to their doctor.  

There was also an intergenerational effect in that participants often ‘brought the learning home’. For example, a participant reported that she had removed sweets from her ‘treats’ cupboard in order to encourage her grandchildren to eat more fruit.

Participants reported taking more ‘time for me’ - time to do what was necessary to look after themselves. Others reported becoming more socially involved, getting out of the house more often, meeting new people and joining in activities. 

You can download your free copy of Well Now!