In October, Myeloma UK launched two new initiatives to explore different ways to support younger myeloma patients, carers and family members who are still in work.
The first of these initiatives was a pilot extension of the Myeloma Infoline Service to include Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm.
The Myeloma UK Infoline (08009803332) is a Freephone service for anyone affected by myeloma and related conditions that provides information, practical advice, and an all-important listening ear. Each call is confidential and has no time limit.
The pilot started on 5 October and will run until the end of December. If the extended hours prove to be beneficial to callers, we will look at ways to develop this service in 2020 to provide a permanent out of hours service for those affected by myeloma and related conditions.
The second initiative was to host live webinars through Facebook Live. The first event focused on “Working life with myeloma” took place on 15 October. The discussion was led by Myeloma Information Specialists Ellen Watters and Sarah Dempsey. They discussed some of the issues working patients can face at diagnosis or when returning to work as well as answering questions from viewers. The video from this event can be accessed on the Myeloma UK Facebook page. Myeloma UK are planning to run more Facebook live events next year.
The Myeloma UK Patient and Carer Support Team are always looking for ways to expand the range of information and support services we provide to anyone affected by myeloma and related conditions. This approach helps us to consistently improve our service provision and reach more people.