The Nova Scotia Arthritis Society is launching a campaign to help seniors, afflicted by the disease, improve their lifestyles.
Erin DeBodt of the Society says seniors often feel isolated and the Senior Lifestyle Makeover Challenge should help ease that.
“Many people in general living with arthritis are searching for ways to manage their pain more effectively, feel more like their old selves, feel more energetic and just overall feel more healthy.”
The free program, bringing seniors together with health professionals, begins in September.
Several town hall style meetings are planned first to get input from seniors in setting it up.
While the dates of the fall program are still to be confirmed, members of the community with an interest in seniors’ healthcare to give their feedback at an upcoming Town Hall at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater on Tuesday, July 21st at 6 p.m.
This session is an opportunity to provide feedback on how best to support seniors in the community living with arthritis.
The Town Hall session is also free of charge.
The Society is also seeking volunteer facilitators to help teach these sessions, and help the program grow around the region.
The program’s six sessions focus on pain management and action planning, flexibility and problem solving, endurance and dealing with difficult emotions, resistance training and nutrition, medications, depression and self-talk, sleep, fatigue, and working with your healthcare team.
“The Senior Lifestyle Makeover Challenge is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the seniors in our province,” said Erin DeBodt, community education coordinator for The Arthritis Society’s Nova Scotia Division.
“Many seniors are searching for ways to live better, manage pain more effectively, and feel be happier, more energetic and healthier. Our goal is to create a fun, interactive program that brings all of that information together, emphasizes the importance of self-management in physical and emotional well being, and hopefully becomes the start of great things for our participants.”
The program will also be offered in Amherst, Annapolis Royal, Digby, Halifax Regional Municipality, Liverpool and Mulgrave Port Hawkesbury, Sydney and Sydney Mines.
To register for the Senior Lifestyle Challenge or Town Hall information session, or for more information about volunteer opportunities with the program, please contact Gabriel at 1-800-321-1433 ext. 8237 or email gpetitti@arthritis.ca
