7 Keys for Navigating a Better Illness Experience

Using 7 Keys developed by Dr’s Hsien Seow and Sammy Winemaker (Waiting Room Revolution - WRR) to explore and discuss the practical and actionable steps to put the human back at the centre of care, to make more informed decisions, and have more choice and control in our own (or your loved ones) serious health care journey.

Although initially the Waiting Room Revolutions’ 7 Keys were designed on navigating serious, life threatening illness, it is also applicable for any illness experience…

How do you get the most out of your 15 minutes in front of your GP or specialist? This even applies to allied health such as Physio, Occupational Therapists, Needs Assessment Assessors and so on…

“although you may not be able to control your illness, you can control many aspects of your illness experience”

Exploring these 7 keys will enable YOU to have an illness journey that leaves you feeling more empowered, informed and supported.

Learn more about upcoming workshops & events HERE

How the 7 Keys Can Support You

  • Learn about yourself and how to walk two roads, one of preparedness and one of hope.

  • Learn about perspective and illness trajectories - when it might be beneficial to zoom in to the finer details or to zoom out for an overall picture.

  • Learn to recognise your own coping style so that you feel more in control

  • Reflect on what is most important to you. Identify the areas of your life where you want to spend your precious time, energy and resources and what you will or won’t compromise to help you in your decision making

  • Consider who is on your team, who you want on your team, what their strengths are and how to recruit them (and keep them). You will also understand how your illness journey might affect your loved ones

  • Understand a little more about your health care system. In an ideal world information is shared between teams, but often it isn’t. Who might help you?

  • Learn how to ask the kinds of questions that will help you get the information you need so that you can make decisions that suit your particular values, beliefs and unique context.

From The Waiting Room Revolution also check out their book Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest and workbook Applying the 7 Keys for Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis.

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyse you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are”

— Bernice Johnson Reagon

My formal training includes PG Cert Palliative Care, Diploma Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, Diploma Health and Human Behaviour, Certified Positive Mental Health & Wellbeing Coach, & Certificate in Thanatology. I am currently undertaking PG Dip in Motivating Behaviour Change

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