A first-time workshop in the region is being held in Beechworth to help people with a life-changing diagnosis to navigate health care with confidence.

The free event ‘Hope for the Best – Plan for the Rest' - hosted by the local Good2Go Collective is supported by Beechworth Health Service, where the workshop will take place.

Seven practical key areas will be applied to the learning with a workbook for participants developed by two Canadian palliative care doctors based on their book ‘Hope for the Best – Plan for the Rest’.

The workshop is designed to empower individuals and families with a life changing illness.

One of two Good2Go collective presenters, Lori Callahan said the workshop includes people learning to communicate effectively with the medical profession for their voices to be heard.

Good2Go co-founder and presenter Nicole Parker, said the workshop will help people caught up in the health system or about to navigate it, by taking control and changing mindsets.

“The workbook works through questions to ask but then questions to ask yourself to understand,” she said.

Ms Parker said it is also learning about the trajectory of the condition with the right questions to ask.

“Participants might be someone who has had a diagnosis of a life limiting condition or cognitive decline with dementia,” she said.

“It’s also for their family members to help them understand how to interact with the medical community and make plans."

Ms Callahan said the workshop is also for community members in creating an awareness on how to interact with the medical community with a great series of questions in these situations.

The presenters said many carers would benefit from the workshop as well.

“The one-day workshop will get people started on each of the seven pathways and we're going to encourage everyone to buy the workbook at a cost of $10,” she said.

Ms Callahan said the presenters will help people walk through their priorities with a document to guide them.

“We will also be talking about other resources such as Advanced care Planning Australia and My Values that will help as well,” she said.

“It’s about feeling empowered and to take more of a leading role in your own health care.”

Ms Callahan said the Canadian doctors in their book felt the more empowered people are, the better the system works.

“It’s about having hope, being practical, planning and empowerment,” she said.

Good2Go presenters are a group of professionals committed to opening up discussions around difficult topics with calm and care.

Workshop presenters Nicole Parker and Lori Callahan are from Beechworth.

Workshops will also take place in Yackandandah, Chiltern, Wangaratta and Albury before the end of June.

The event being held on 9 May from 8.30am to 5.30pm, is sponsored with funding by a Murray (Vic) Primary Health Network grant through the Australian Government’s PHN program.

Visit www.g2gproject.com.au or email g2gcollective@gmail.com for more information about the event.