Blog article

Many health service departments and teams now have their own intranet, web pages or blogs that need updating. We've written the following article about Joint Potential which you can copy, paste and use, if it would be useful to the team and save you some time.

For many young adults with arthritis, this comment must feel like a smack in the face. Yes, arthritis is mainly associated with older people but there are around 27,000 people under 25 living with arthritis in the UK.

Health services for children with arthritis tend to be highly targeted and generally very well received by both patients and their families. But once they hit 18, many young adults find themselves being treated and supported by programmes designed predominantly for much older people, and this can lead to a sense of isolation.

Over the years Arthritis Care has supported many young adults and learnt from their feedback that medical regimes and the physical aspects of managing pain are only part of the equation. There are also significant issues around self-confidence, body image and in many cases a resentment of the fact that arthritis is preventing them from living the lives they want to lead.

Constraints for young adults go beyond tying shoelaces or opening jars. They are concerned with issues like driving a car, going out clubbing with friends, playing sports, using mobile phones, going on holiday, enjoying intimate relationships and buying sexy shoes and clothes. In other words, the things that young adults do...

Occasionally there are strong individuals who, well supported by friends, family and others, are able to stay on top of their condition and achieve their dreams. One such example is Kirsty Orr whose story was recently published by the Daily Record in Scotland. Kirsty’s outlook on life is both driven and pragmatic and her pursuit of a career as a fashion designer is an inspiration.

But not everyone has Kirsty’s confidence or support network.

Angela Donaldson, director of Arthritis Care in Scotland explains: "We wanted to help more young adults live the lives they want to live and feel as positive and motivated as Kirsty does to achieve their goals. This led us to introduce Joint Potential; Scotland’s first initiative targeted directly at younger adults aged 16-25."

The Joint Potential programme is free and consists of residential weekend events designed to help participants look beyond the constraints of their arthritis, focusing on what they can achieve. These include:

1. Activity weekend - an outdoor activity weekend designed to enable participants to just get out there and enjoy doing whatever they can.  It’s about building confidence and having fun in equal measure, in a totally unpressurised environment.
2. Positive Future - so you've got arthritis, what now? This event looks at various aspects of life (family, friends, social and work or study) and how to get the most from them by challenging how participants think and how they set goals.
3. Self Image - what makes you YOU? We'll focus on how to feel comfortable with who you are and in your relationships with others, and look at where you're heading in the future...
   

Angela concludes, “The more young adults we can encourage to attend the free events, the more stories like Kirsty’s will become the norm rather than the exception.”  

“We very much rely on the health professionals who care for these young adults to refer their patients to Joint Potential and hope that together we can offer as wide a range of relevant support as possible.”

More information on Joint Potential can be found on the programme’s dedicated web pages (www.jointpotential.org.uk) or from the Arthritis Care in Scotland team on 0141 954 7776.