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Do-It-Yourself Healthcare

Rising healthcare costs have prompted the state to try something new. 

Instead of relying solely on doctors and nurses to keep people healthy, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitation has been offering workshops for those with chronic diseases – teaching them how to manage diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic pain and other problems. April Holmes, Coordinator of Prevention Programs, says participants meet for two and a half hours each week, for six weeks, to explore better ways of caring for themselves.

The workshop does help people gain confidence in managing their health, which is really important. Another thing that happens is there’s a marked reduction in depression. A lot of the ideas in the workshop come from the participants themselves. There’s a lot of brainstorming and problem solving.”

For example:

Sometimes people forget to take their medications, so there might be a brainstorm about how can you remember to take your medications?”

Workshops were shown to reduce fatigue, disability and the number of trips to a hospital. The state offers the program at senior centers, libraries, churches – and, most recently -- prisons, where a growing number of elderly inmates has pushed healthcare costs up dramatically.

One person, I remember, said it could give you a positive outlook on life, and that’s a wonderful thing for someone to say who’s in prison.”

Holmes says current funding will expire in August, but the state hopes a new grant will allow the Department for Aging to expand the program to more communities and prisons.

 

Sandy Hausman is Radio IQ's Charlottesville Bureau Chief
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