Living Well Programs
BE EMPOWERED TO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE
Living with a chronic condition such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, pain, or anxiety can be a daily challenge, but it doesn't have to be. In the workshops, you will get support from people like you, learn relaxation and other strategies to deal with pain, fatigue, & frustration, discover how healthy eating can improve your condition, create an activity program that works for you, understand new treatment choices, and explore how to talk with your doctor and your family about your needs. Living Well workshops empower individuals to take charge of their health and life!
Do I qualify for Living Well? If you are an adult over age 18 living with any chronic condition or if someone in your life is living with a chronic condition, you are eligible for Living Well!
Living Well is available virtually and in-person in some communities.
Living Well with Chronic Pain is available for those living with chronic pain.
Living Well with Diabetes is available for those living with diabetes
Living Well with High Blood Pressure is available for those diagnosed with hypertension. .
Living Well with Chronic Conditions
Living Well is a workshop that helps adults with chronic diseases learn how to manage and improve their health. Interactive workshop sessions focus on problems that are common to individuals dealing with any chronic disease. Topics include pain management, nutrition, exercise, medication use, emotions, and communicating with doctors. Workshops are led by two trained facilitators, at least one of whom has a chronic disease. Throughout the program, participants focus on building skills to manage their conditions by sharing experiences and providing mutual support. The program helps people with diverse medical diagnoses such as diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension develop skills and coping strategies to manage their symptoms.
Benefits of the Workshop:
- Learn how to deal with a chronic condition diagnosis
- Learn strategies for living well even with health difficulties
- Meet new friends
- Provide support and encouragement to your peers
- Become more involved in your community with your neighbors
Who Should Take the Workshop:
This class is for anyone who wants to improve their health and quality of life through managing their chronic conditions. It is particularly suited for people who have:
- Pre-diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Hypertension
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Or another health condition that you would like to better manage
Health Outcomes:
- Improved self-reported health.
- Improved health status in six indicators: fatigue, shortness of breath, depression, pain, stress, and sleep problems.
- Improved health-related quality of life, unhealthy physical days, and unhealthy mental days.
- Improved communication with doctors, medication compliance, and health literacy.
Living Well with Diabetes
Living Well with Diabetes is an interactive workshop where participants learn techniques to deal with the symptoms of diabetes, such as fatigue, pain, hyper- and hypoglycemia, stress, and emotional problems such as depression, anger, fear, and frustration. Workshops are led by two trained facilitators.
Workshops are highly participatory. Mutual support and success build participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their health and maintain active and fulfilling lives. Each participant is guided to tailor the workshop content to their own needs.
The workshop meets weekly for 2 -2.5 hours for 6 weeks. Physicians, diabetes educators, dietitians, and other health professionals have reviewed all workshop materials. Each year the content is reviewed and updated to meet current American Diabetes Association’s standards.
Who it’s for: Adults who live in the Panhandle who have been diagnosed with or are caring for someone with type 2 diabetes.
Health outcomes: (Data taken from large national study done virtually and in person)
- Improved health behaviors (exercise, medication adherence, communication with health professionals, role function)
- Reduced HbA1c
- Increased adherence to advised examinations (eye, foot, kidney)
- Improved symptoms (hypoglycemia, depression, fatigue, sleep problems)
- Reduced health care costs
Living Well with Chronic Pain
Living Well with Chronic Pain is an interactive group workshop delivered in-person in community settings or via Zoom for those living with chronic pain such as arthritis, back pain, neck pain, headache, or pelvic pain. Participants learn the skills to manage their pain on day-to-day basics such as: exercise, healthy eating, cognitive pain management, as well as how to deal with concerns such as fatigue, sleep problems, difficult emotions, weight loss, communicating with family, friends, and coworkers. Core self-management skills taught include action planning, problem solving and decision making.
- Who it’s for: Adults, 18 years and older, living with chronic pain.
- Health outcomes:
- Less pain: (Improved quality, problem, severity)
- Other outcomes: (Less depression, less dependency, increased self-efficacy, improved in role behaviors and life satisfaction)
Living Well with High Blood Pressure
Nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension, a potentially dangerous health condition commonly known as high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The higher a person’s blood pressure levels, the more at risk an individual is for other health problems, such as heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, according to the CDC.
That’s why PPHD is adding Living Well with High Blood Pressure to its offerings of free courses for adults 60 and older. The aim of the course is to improve hypertension self-management through small-group educational sessions and support offered by trained Health Coaches.
Participants in the course can expect to increase their knowledge about hypertension self-management and prepare to make positive changes in lifestyle, behavior, physical activity tobacco use and stress and medication management. Sessions will cover short-term and long-term goal setting and planning. People who have completed the course reported lower blood pressures and improved stress management.
Developed at Clemson University, this program has been proven to help people with high blood pressure better manage their condition by focusing on nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and more. Trained facilitators guide the small-group program, and participants receive a free electronic blood pressure monitor and other educational materials. This program is made available for adults living in the Panhandle diagnosed with hypertension. Meet with your Certified HCHC Leader for 1.5 hours weekly for 8 weeks.
“I feel this class really helped save my life. It was encouraging to learn how to manage portion size with foods and sodium. I also enjoyed the encouragement for exercising.” - Participant
Who it’s for:
- You have been diagnosed with hypertension
- You are concerned about developing hypertension
- You want to learn more about weight control You are ready to make lifestyle change
- People diagnosed with hypertension and/or those concerned about developing hypertension
Health outcomes:
- Reduced systolic blood pressure - baseline 146.31 mmHg, post intervention 140.53 mmHg - p=.001
- Increased consumption of fruits & vegetables - baseline >5 servings 69.3%, post intervention >5 servings 87.6% - p<.001
- Cope well with stress (Y/N) - baseline "yes" - 65.1%, post intervention 79.1% - p .000
Are You Interested in Becoming a Living Well Leader?
Do you want to help support others to live their best lives? Are you passionate about health? Do you have time to volunteer in your community?
What does a Living Well Leader do?
- A Living Well Leader is an individual who co-leads workshops with another leader one or more times a year.
- 2 leaders are required to lead each workshop.
When are the workshops?
- Workshops meet once weekly for 2-2.5 hours for 6 weeks.
- Workshops are scheduled on the day and time that best fits your schedule, either in person or virtually.
Why become a Living Well Leader?
- Make a difference in people's lives by helping them realize their goals
- Help maintain your own skills
- Be a part of an exciting worldwide program for both volunteers and professionals
- Meet new people
Learn more about Living Well:https://selfmanagementresource.com/programs/small-group/chronic-disease-self-management-small-group/
Contact Cheri Farris to learn more today!
cfarris@pphd.ne.gov or (308) 220-8020