ILFA Christmas Cards now on sale

We’re delighted to share our 2020 Christmas card designs with you and let you know that the cards are now available to order.

Each pack contains 10 cards – 2 cards each of 5 designs. One pack costs €6 and two packs cost €10.

For a limited time, we will give 5 packs for the price of 4!!!

Please help raise awareness of lung fibrosis this festive season.

Call 086 871 5264 or email info@ilfa.ie to place your order.

Let’s Talk Christmas! The ILFA Christmas Jumper Support Group Meeting will take place online on Friday 11th December at 4pm.

Our special guest will be Irene Byrne, Respiratory Physiotherapist at the Mater University Hospital.

Why not put on your festive Christmas jumper (the louder the better!), find a Christmas hat, organise a cuppa or a tipple and join us for some virtual mince pies!

To register, call Gemma on 086 871 5264 or email info@ilfa.ie

Please let us know if you have a festive party piece that you would like to perform via Zoom.

The European IPF and Related Disorders Federation will host a webinar on COVID-19 and Pulmonary Fibrosis on Tuesday 1st Decemeber at 6pm GMT.

The invited speaker is Professor Gisli Jenkins, a global leader in IPF research.

Please register here

The next ILFA Patient Information Day will take place online on Saturday 28th November from 11am until 1pm.

The meeting will take place using the Zoom online platform.

Our speakers will include

– Dr Michael Henry, Respiratory Consultant at Cork University Hospital, Cork

– Carmel McInerney, Respiratory Nurse Specialist at Ennis Hospital, Clare

– Debbie Gibbons, Respiratory Physiotherapist at St Francis Hospice, Dublin

– Sandra Murphy, Dietitian at the Mater Misericoridae University Hospital, Dublin

We hope you can join us to learn more about pulmonary fibrosis from experts in the field.

Alternatively call 086 871 5264 or email info@ilfa.ie to register for this free online event.

The Irish Lung Fibrosis Association is delighted to have been accepted as a member of Care Alliance Ireland -a national network of voluntary organisations supporting family carers. The alliance aims to raise awareness & ensure the role of family carers is fully recognised and valued by society in Ireland.

See www.carealliance.ie for more information.

Calling all healthcare professionals … the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA Ireland) is pleased to offer educational bursaries to respiratory healthcare professionals working with lung fibrosis patients to study Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The course will be delivered online (January 2021) and will require a minimum commitment of 15 hours e-learning & 10 hours participatory (Teams & skills practice) online sessions.

The course will cover:

CBT theory
Assessing patients using the CBT model
Cognitive and behavioural techniques
Case study practice and presentations

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Understand the basics of CBT

2. Understand why CBT is useful for the treatment of depression and anxiety

3. Identify patients under psychological distress

4. Use basic CBT skills and techniques to help address psychological distress.

Please email info@ilfa.ie for an application form if you are interested in applying for an educational bursary for CBT Training. The closing date for applications is Monday 16th November.

Huge thanks to all the ILFA community near and far who lit candles all over Ireland and overseas in support of lung fibrosis patients and families and to remember loved ones who have passed away.

2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for everyone and it was a very special way to come together, though apart.

We were delighted to have such amazing support for this event. Thank you all!

ILFA’s national online pulmonary rehabilitation class will not take place on Monday 26 October as it is a bank holiday. Online classes will start again on Monday 2 November and will take place every Monday at 11am.

The classes take place online using Zoom and you will need a tablet device, a smart phone or a laptop/computer. You will receive an email from ILFA with instructions on how to join – you simply have to click the link provided to join the class. Please contact Gemma on 086 871 5264 or email info@ilfa.ie to register to join future classes.

In the meantime, you can still exercise from the comfort of your own home with this video recorded by physiotherapy students at University Hospital Limerick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZIwVdmtK1w

Usually in October we have the ILFA Ecumenical Service of Prayer and Reflection to look forward to and we come together as a community. Sadly this year, the service will not take place.

On Saturday 24th October, ILFA would like to invite you to light a candle at 6pm in support of patients and their families, and also to remember loved ones with lung fibrosis who have passed away.

The time of 6pm (18.00hr) is symbolic as ILFA was founded at this time of year 18 years ago. We hope you will join us. Please share a photo of your candle via our Facebook page or email info@ilfa.ie you would like to.

“Let’s Talk … Planning for the Future” – an online education session to discuss practical and legal aspects of planning for the future for lung fibrosis patients will take place on Tuesday 3rd November at 4pm.

Rebecca Lloyd from the Irish Hospice Foundation will join the meeting and answer your questions.

Please register and send in your questions in advance to Gemma by calling 086 871 5264 or emailing info@ilfa.ie