Submitted
Local residents living with chronic diseases have an opportunity to join a free Alberta Health Services (AHS) program designed to help them take control of their health and to improve their quality of life.
A six-week series of free Alberta Health Services (AHS) workshops dealing with chronic pain and other ongoing health issues gets underway next week right within the community..
Better Choices Better Health is a series of six workshops designed to support Albertans living with ongoing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, obesity, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, colitis, Celiac disease and mental health concerns. Workshop sessions are led by trained volunteers, many of whom live with a chronic disease, an approach which Alberta Health says ensures an understanding of the challenges participants face and provides a supportive and welcoming environment.
Because those living with chronic conditions are often faced with the same day-to-day challenges, Better Choices Better Health focuses on teaching tools and techniques common to all chronic conditions rather than any one specific disease or condition, a statement from AHS says.
Better Choices Better Health workshop sessions will be held Sept. 15, 22, 29 and Oct. 6, 14 & 20, from 1:15 to 3:45 p.m. at the Ponoka Community Health Centre (Conference Room) on Highway 2A.
Topics include:
Solving problems and setting goals
Handling pain and fatigue.
Managing medication.
Dealing with difficult emotions.
Eating healthy and increasing activity.
Communicating with health care providers.
Registration is required as dates and times are subject to change. For more information and to register to attend, please call the Alberta Healthy Living Program Central Zone at 1-877-314-6997.