New Year, New You: FirstHealth Program Can Help Those Managing Chronic Diseases
| Date Posted: 12/6/2019
The beginning of a new year is an exciting time, often brimming with the promise of fresh starts and unique opportunities. It’s also a time when many recommit to their health and well-being, vowing to eat better, exercise or even drink more water.
How much easier would those resolutions be to keep with a partner in your corner? FirstHealth of the Carolinas is ready to help those with chronic health conditions improve their quality of life in the new year and beyond through the Living Healthy: Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP).
From health conditions like back pain, migraines, diabetes, anxiety and arthritis, CDSMP is available for patients and caregivers.
The free six-week program helps those with chronic conditions to feel more in control of their symptoms and less like those symptoms are in control of them.
By learning, applying and practicing an evidence-based set of tools in the form of physical activity, relaxation exercises, problem-solving and communication skills, healthy eating and sleep, participants are equipped to become better self-managers.
This not only reduces symptoms but builds confidence and increases one’s well-being and ability to engage in roles and activities as desired.
The 2020 CDSMP workshops are scheduled to begin Thursday, Jan. 9 at FirstHealth’s Montgomery Memorial Hospital (Conference Room 1) in Troy. Workshops will run from 5:15 to 7:45 p.m. and take place each Thursday through Feb. 13.
The program, developed by a team of researchers at Stanford University, is delivered in partnership with East Carolina University's Office of Healthy Aging Research, Education and Services (OHARES) and is one of several evidence-based interventions FirstHealth is implementing under the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas grant received from The Duke Endowment.
FirstHealth Community Health Services offers additional programs targeting patients with chronic lifestyle-based diseases, including the Center for Disease Control's Prevent T2 diabetes prevention program; Know It, Control It! hypertension management program; FirstQuit tobacco cessation; and general nutrition and physical activity education.
For more information, call (910) 715-6270.
