Peninsula Home Care Offers Free Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshops
Published on - November 10, 2014SEAFORD, DE – Some people are sick and tired – of being sick and tired? People diagnosed with chronic diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease or diabetes face an uphill battle most days to find the strength to manage their illness, curb their pain and have a positive outlook on life.
Peninsula Home Care at Nanticoke with Delaware Division of Public Health is offering Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops in the community, free of charge. The workshops provide the tools, resources and training to the community to help improve health and lower healthcare costs to those suffering from chronic illnesses.
Examples of chronic diseases the workshops focus on include the following:
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Arthritis
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Stroke
- Cancer
- Depression
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said Therese Ganster, Peninsula Home Care community liaison. “We are arming patients with the resources and knowledge they need to make better life decisions. As healthcare reform will undoubtedly impact the way the medical profession cares for patients, we knew it was time to be proactive and take responsibility for preparing people in our community to take an active role in their plan of care. Self-management is the key. With the right tools, patients will empower themselves to make changes that will improve their health and overall quality of life.”
Workshops – Working Towards Better Health
Self-Management programs empower people to take an active role in managing their chronic illness. The workshops being co-led by Peninsula Home Care will help participants make lifestyle choices and changes, adhere to prescribed medication treatments, and become educated, responsible, informed patients.
The model being used is from Stanford University, has shown significant, measurable, and sustainable improvements in health status, increased exercise, reduced fatigue, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being in addition to improved and enhanced partnership with physicians, healthcare providers and caregivers. (The initial program showed a two-year savings of $390 and $520 per participants based on reduced hospitalizations and outpatient visits.)
The six week long workshops focus on pain management, eating, exercise, medication use, emotional management, and communication with physicians and other healthcare providers.
The programs are available to the community and will be held at Peninsula Home Care at Nanticoke, assisted living facilities, places of worship or churches and various other community centers. FREE of Charge! Those interested in a Chronic Disease Self-Management program scheduled in Sussex or lower Kent County can call 302-629-4914. PHC Community Liaison, Therese Ganster is available to coordinate programs in a community space close by.
The Maryland (Salisbury/Ocean Pines) PHC offices also provide Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops. Call for more information on dates, times, and locations of classes in your area.
About Peninsula Home Care
Providing care for more than 30 years, Peninsula Home Care, in Salisbury, Maryland, ensures that all patients are involved in their plan of care and strives to give them every opportunity to maintain their independence in the home. The agency has served more than 39,000 patients on Delmarva and was designated as a Peninsula Regional Medical Center preferred home care provider in 2017. For more information, visit www.peninsulahomecare.com.
