Saving Money Through Prevention
As costs for medical care and health insurance continue to rise each year, it has become more and more important to focus on taking care of ourselves. Whether it be managing a frustrating chronic condition, making diet changes, keeping up our strength to remain at home, or taking care of someone we love, we are all thinking about prevention, whether we realize it or not!
Typically, when we think of preventing something, we think of stopping it. Prevention with the Aging & Disability Resource Center is a little different though. In our case, we do not want to stop you from doing anything you want to do, instead we aim to help you learn skills to help you continue to do the things you love to do.
For example, falling in your home or community can be frightening, dangerous, and embarrassing. But learning how to walk safely, keeping your muscles strong, and learning from experts how to eliminate hazards and pick safe footwear can help stop this from happening. Do you have to manage your diet and exercise closely because of your diabetes? This can get frustrating and exhausting at times, but learning how to set short term goals, and take small steps with a group of friends supporting you each week could help ease this frustration and help you to relax. Maybe you are a caregiver for a loved one, and wonder if there are resources to help you be a better caregiver? The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) offers a variety of programs such as Stepping On, Living Well with Chronic Conditions, Healthy Living with Diabetes, Walk with Ease, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, and BeST Communication to help empower you to remain independent as long as possible. We encourage you to contact us for more information on these enriching programs (877.794.2372 or adrcswwi.org). All of our programs are open to the residents of Grant, Green, Iowa, & Lafayette County. Please contact one of our local offices to find out more about locations near you!!!!
Stepping On
(Locations in Grant, Green, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties)
Stepping On is a program that has been researched and proven to reduce falls in older people. It consists of a workshop that meets for two hours a week for seven weeks. Workshops are led by a health professional and a peer leader- someone who, just like you, is concerned about falls. In addition, local guest experts provide information on exercise, vision, safety, and medications.
Topics include:
- Simple and fun balance and strength training
- The role vision plays in keeping your balance
- How medications can contribute to falls
- Ways to keep from falling when out in your community
- What to look for in safe footwear
- How to eliminate falls hazards from your home
Living Well with Chronic Conditions
(Locations in Grant, Green, & Iowa Counties)
Are you an adult with an ongoing health condition? You’ll get the support you need, find practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices, and learn better ways to talk with your doctor and family about your health.
If you have conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain, anxiety, the Living Well workshop can help you take charge of your life. Join a 2 ½ hr. Living Well workshop, held each week for six weeks. Learn from trained volunteer leaders with health conditions themselves. Set your own goals and make a step-by-step plan to improve your health- and your life.
Healthy Living with Diabetes
(Located in Grant County)
Diabetes is a chronic, life-long, on-going condition. While you may see a physician or another health care provider several times a year, most days you are the one who controls your diabetes through monitoring, nutrition, exercise, and managing your symptoms. Healthy Living with Diabetes is a researched and proven program designed to help you do that.
This workshop is designed to help adults with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes learn self-management skills and increase their confidence in managing their diabetes. The workshop meets once a week for six weeks – 2-1/2 hours each session- and is meant to complement existing treatments a participant receives.
People who take this workshop:
- Learn techniques to deal with the symptoms of diabetes.
- Learn about appropriate exercise, use of medication and healthy eating strategies.
- Report improved health, health behavior, and a sense of confidence in managing their diabetes.
- Show improvements in blood sugar levels and a decrease in health distress and hypo- and hyperglycemia
- Feel more confident in their ability to communicate with physicians.
- Have fewer doctor and emergency room visits and fewer hospitalizations.
Walk with Ease
(Located in Iowa County)
Walk with Ease is a great way to become a healthier you. The class meets two times a week for six weeks. You must be able to stand for 10 minutes to join the class.
This program is designed to help you:
- Motivate yourself to get in great shape.
- Walk safely and comfortably.
- Improve your flexibility, strength and stamina.
- Reduce pain and feel great.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
(Located in Grant County)
Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a six-week workshop that will teach you how to take care of yourself while caring for someone else. By taking care of your own physical, emotional, and financial needs, you become a better caregiver.
Are you helping a spouse, partner, parent, or friend? Someone who lives at home or in a nursing facility? Someone close by or across the country? It doesn’t matter. The need to provide care can be the result of a chronic illness, an accident, or the gradual decline of one’s ability to meet their own needs.
This program will help you, the unpaid caregiver for a family member, friend, neighbor, cope with the challenges that come with your role as caregiver. The workshop will give you tools to:
- Reduce stress, guilt, anger, and depression
- Manage your time, set goals, and solve problems
- Master caregiving transitions
- Make tough decisions
- Communicate effectively with your care receiver, family members, doctors and paid helpers
BeST Communication
(Located in Green County)
Barb’s husband, James, has always been her best friend and biggest supporter. A few months ago, she noticed some changes in his mood and memory. They both agreed to talk with the doctor about it. Barb likes and respects their doctor, but left confused about what the next steps were and if they should be worried. She tells herself that everyone gets forgetful when they get older, so maybe it is nothing. Barb is not sure. She would like to go back and ask more questions, but she knows their doctor is very busy.
Do you ever feel mixed up or have questions after leaving the doctor’s office? Did you know that 9 out of 10 adults have difficulty using everyday health information? With some planning and practice, you can make sure you have a good understanding of what the doctor tells you and to ask the right questions before you walk out. Dr. Paul Smith, with the University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine, has developed a research study designed to help.
The research study is called BeST Communication. In this study, you will learn:
- To get ready for a doctor visit with the person you help
- To get your questions answered
- To get the most out of your time with the doctor
For more information about BeST Communication please call the Aging & Disability Resource Center at 608-328-9499 or email the Aging & Disability Resource Center-Green County at resourcecenter@gcshd.org. BeST Communication is supported by the University of Wisconsin, the Aging & Disability Resource Center, Monroe Clinic, and the Green County Caregiver Coalition.
