Reflecting on building healthy relationships

When we talk about helping on this programme, we mean giving emotional and practical support to another person who could benefit from personalised care by:

• Sharing your knowledge to inform others
• Supporting others to navigate the health and care system
• Not telling them what to do or feeling disappointed if people choose a very different path.

So that:

• Others have hope for a different future
• Others can have better conversations about personalised care
• Others can participate more confidently in decisions about their care

In the video, hear Jo talk about her experience of helping Colin.

We know how beneficial this can be because people often feel powerless when faced with a huge and complex health and care system. They often say, ‘with the benefit of hindsight’ or ‘If only I knew then, what I know now, things would have been so different’. With this in mind, it’s important to share good quality information. Inaccurate information can do more harm than good!

Building a healthy helping relationship relies on knowing your strengths and limitations. Think carefully about how much time and energy you can offer. Supporting people can be satisfying and energising; it can also be time-consuming and draining.