Living Well With Chronic Conditions

AREA AGENCY ON AGING-FIVE COUNTY INVITES YOU TO TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CHRONIC DISEASE

FREE self-management education for people with a variety of chronic health conditions.

The Area Agency on Aging invites community members of all ages to attend the upcoming Chronic Disease Self-Management workshop. This free event will provide education and build participants ‘confidence in managing their health and keep them active and engaged in their lives.

CDSMP is for adults with chronic health, ongoing health problems. There is strong evidence from peer-reviewed publications and program evaluations that participation in CDSMP workshops can improve physical and psychosocial outcomes and quality of life for people with chronic health conditions. Benefits include decreased pain and health distress, increased energy and less fatigue, increased physical activity, decreased depression, better communication with physicians, decreased social role limitations, and increased confidence in managing chronic disease.

“The program may be particularly beneficial for people who have more than one health condition, whose health problems have begun to interfere with their valued life activities, or who have had difficulty following your health recommendations,” said Kristina Raner of the Area Agency on Aging.

Participants attend a 2½-hour interactive workshop once a week for 6 weeks to learn problem-solving, decision-making, and other techniques for managing problems common to people with chronic diseases. In a typical workshop, participants set a realistic goal for the upcoming week and develop an action plan for meeting that goal. They report on their progress at the following workshop and solicit feedback from the group to help address any challenges.

The Area Agency on Aging-Five County Association of Governments has been providing services to frail elderly and disabled adults for over 20 years. We have an experienced staff with extensive skills and knowledge of community resources who can access these services to meet the needs of the aging population across five counties - Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, and Washington - in Southern Utah.