Why is this needed?

Thanks to advances in treatment and care, more people are living longer with myeloma than ever before. But it also means people’s support needs are changing and we know every experience is different.

And because myeloma is unpredictable, the support someone needs today may be very different from what they need next month or next year. There are also more people living with related conditions such as MGUS, smouldering myeloma or AL amyloidosis, facing similar challenges and uncertainty about the future.

That’s why we’ve developed FLOW. FLOW is a framework that will guide how we design and deliver support in the future, helping people access the right support at the right time.

How was FLOW developed?

Through our work with the myeloma community, we’ve heard how important it is to have support that reflects these changing experiences. People have told us they need help not only with understanding their condition and treatment, but also with coping with uncertainty, adapting to change, maintaining wellbeing and focusing on what matters most to them.

FLOW was developed in response to these insights. The principles are informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach that focuses on building psychological flexibility. This means developing skills that can help people respond to difficult feelings and situations in ways that support their wellbeing and help them live according to what matters most to them.

FLOW takes inspiration from these ideas and translates them into practical principles that can inform the support Myeloma UK provides. They help us consider how we can better support people to stay present, adapt to change, focus on their values and take practical steps to support their wellbeing.

We know that the nature of myeloma means that the support someone needs today could be very different to the support they need tomorrow, next week or next year.