CARIBOU, Maine — For people with chronic health conditions, good medical care is just half of the equation. Equally important is their ability to make healthy decisions, follow their doctor’s recommendations, and take care of their condition.
Cary Medical Center’s Healthy You program will offer a free six-week, evidence-based workshop called Living Well for Better Health through a partnership between the hospital and the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging.
The sessions will take place at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center on Tuesday mornings from 9 to 11:30 a.m. for six consecutive weeks, beginning Jan. 22. Participants will learn vital self-management skills to help equip them for a better life, despite the impact of their ongoing health concerns and conditions.
Living Well is for adults of all ages who have one or more chronic conditions, which might include diabetes, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, chronic pain, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and others.
There’s a significant need for support for people with chronic diseases, say Cary officials.
“The good news,” said Elizabeth Singer, one of two recently certified Living Well instructors employed by Cary Medical Center, “is that people equipped with the appropriate self-management tools, and knowledge of when and how to implement them, can successfully live and thrive with one or more chronic conditions. The Living Well workshop will be a wonderful complement to the participants’ medical care.”
During the six two-and-a-half-hour weekly sessions, participants will receive support from trained leaders and other workshop participants, learn practical ways to manage their pain and fatigue, learn about nutrition and exercise options, and learn better ways to communicate about their conditions with doctors and family members.
“As someone living with the daily reality of my own chronic condition, I can see how this program will be very empowering,” said Healthy You Program Director, Bethany Zell, who is also newly certified as a Living Well instructor and will co-teach the upcoming class with Singer. “I am glad we can offer this class to help others improve their health outcomes through successful chronic disease self-management.”
Preregistration is required. Register online at healthylivingforme.org or contact Zell at 498-1361 or bzell@carymed.org.
Submitted by the Community Relations and Development Office of Cary Medical Center.
