Celiac Support Group Observation Report

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Group Observation Assignment March 22, 2012 Kim Ragan Southern Illinois Celiac Support Group Neighborhood Co-op Grocery’s Community Room at Murdale Shopping Center, 1815 West Main Street, Carbondale, IL 62901 March 8, 2012 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm Marjorie Yuill A. The purpose of the group is support people living with Celiac Disease that must be on a gluten-free diet to keep from having flare ups from the disease. They discuss gluten-free products that they have tried and which ones tasted good or bad as well as any new advances in medicine for celiac disease. They discussed coping strategies for what they could and couldn’t eat, and shared their personal experiences of coping with Celiac Disease including how…show more content…
Summary: The group learned about different gluten-free brands/foods that other members had tried and liked and also got to sample one. The group shared their experiences of what it had been like for them as individuals/families to cope with this disease. The group learned about the booth for Celiac Disease at the upcoming Men’s Conference at John A Logan. The group learned about the gluten-free pot luck coming up next month. The group learned to e-mail companies about their products if they were unsure if the products contained gluten. The group learned that they could go to www.celiac.org to learn about new research and progress on Celiac Disease. D. I was introduced and welcomed to the group by the group leader. The members asked me if I had Celiac disease and I told them no. I told them that I was a student in OTA and I wanted to learn more about this disease. I was the only one in attendance besides the leader and the group members. E. The leader opened the group meeting with introductions and included everyone in the group. The members interacted freely with each other and the group leader. A few members discussed certain committees that they were heading up and asked for volunteers. The interaction was client centered because the leader said she was didn’t have this disease, but she felt for the people that did and was there to help and support…show more content…
I think my presence had a positive affect on the group. I told them that I was an OTA student and that I was doing a project for school. They were all eager to share information and their experiences with Celiac Disease with me. One woman told me after the meeting about, being a Catholic and not being able to take communion because it contained wheat. She also told me that shopping for food was a nightmare because it is sometimes had to tell if gluten is hidden in another ingredient in the ingredient on the package. K. Yes they reached their goal. They are a close-knit group that support each other to successfully cope with this disease. They are doing a great job of public awareness of Celiac Disease. They seem to be a group of caring people that want help others not suffer needlessly with Celiac Disease. I really learned a lot from the group not only about the disease, but how it affects these people’s daily lives. There is nothing like learning things first hand from real people talking about a disease they have and how it affects them personally. It is much more meaningful than a textbook. I would try to find broader ways to reach the public by having gluten-free events and giving samples of gluten-free food at the Neighborhood Co-op Grocery Store. I would talk to the manager at Chili’s Restaurant to see if they would be interested in sponsoring some

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