Susan Leary (not her real name) is active, to say the least. Swimming twenty three laps and walking three miles was all part of a day’s routine for this 83-year-old woman. That is until Susan suffered from what could only be described as a Sciatic Attack in 2007 that left her unable to walk. Susan entered a rehab facility and began physical therapy to bring back the use of her legs. When she finally returned home, she needed to find ways to get back into her exercise routine while also taking care of herself.

Barbara Hales is a self-motivated 72-year-old woman who puts her mind on something when she wants it done. She is a member of the Resident Association in her community and is chairperson of the Wellness Program. The vibrant and colorful quilts adorning Barbara’s walls confirm her love of quilting. She also enjoys swimming and exercising, but because Barbara has arthritis, it is often difficult to participate in these activities.

Barbara Hales

In 2007, Highland Valley Elder Services approached Loomis Communities to participate in a weekly program that would help individuals living with chronic health problems, such as arthritis, manage their health and set reachable goals to improve their overall quality of life. Barbara’s role as chairperson of the Wellness Program, left the decision up to her. Because Barbara had an interest in the program, she was sure that others in her community would also benefit from taking charge to manage their health.

Over the course of six weeks, both Barbara and Susan joined 13 other individuals once a week and participated in the Take Charge of Your Health Program; a program designed by the Department of Medicine at Stanford University. The program was the product of a five-year research grant to develop and evaluate a community-based self-management program to assist people with chronic diseases. Two experienced “Master Trainers” facilitated each session and led the group in developing both long-term and short-term goals. One of the conditions of the program is that at least one Master Trainer lives with a chronic health issue. “It was nice that the trainers were middle-aged and had issues similar to ours,” Barbara explained. “They could understand what we were going through.”

Each two-and-a-half hour session began with group reports during which everyone discussed the goals that were accomplished the week before. Brainstorming came next and participants discussed proactive ways to deal with pain, depression and fatigue, just to name a few. The Master Trainers ensured that the environment was positive and realistic. Susan described the program as “an adjustable process” because goals were set and adjusted to fit each individual’s lifestyle. “It was never a negative process,” Susan said. “You wouldn’t fail a goal and throw it out. You would adjust that goal so that you could reach it.”

Everyone involved in the Take Charge of Your Health Program received a free copy of the book Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, which was described by the American Lung Association as “a remarkable resource for anyone with any chronic health problem.” Topics in the book include understanding and managing common symptoms, communicating about a chronic health problem, exercising for endurance, managing Arthritis and Diabetes and planning for the future. Both Susan and Barbara described this book as a wonderful tool that they can use in the future should they have questions or want to learn more about specific topics.

Through the program, Susan and Barbara both accomplished the goals that they had set for themselves. In addition, friendships and support groups emerged as a result of the Take Charge of Your Health Program. The support groups allow individuals to continue setting goals to manage their health issues in a positive way. Barbara counted on her new friends when she recently received a new medical diagnosis. She received the courage to admit that there was a problem and was able to visit a doctor and handle all of the tests and stress associated with this new finding. She now manages not only the symptoms but she also exercises on a regular basis and keeps herself motivated everyday.

For Susan, completing the Take Charge of Your Health Program allowed her to participate in the “Walk Across America” race.

Individuals participate in this race on their own by keeping track of how many miles a day they walk and exercise. Because Susan is an avid swimmer, she was allowed to include the number of laps she swims in her total mileage count. Whoever walks the distance equal to reaching San Francisco wins the race. Susan is proud to say that she tied for first place in this race and she could not be more thankful to the trainers and individuals involved in the Take Charge of Your Health Program for helping her to get back into her exercise routine.

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