Residents who are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired are invited to join a free six-week program operated by the Northern Health Region.
Get Better Together is open to anyone living with a heart condition, diabetes, arthritis, depression, chronic back pain or any other ongoing health problem.
Program organizers ask prospective participants to consider the following questions:
• Would you like to feel better and healthier?
• Do you have pain or feel tired and frustrated?
• Would you like to learn how to better manage the symptoms that trouble you most?
• Would you like to be able to do more of the things you enjoy?
• Would you like to be able to communicate better with your doctor?
• Would you like to learn from others who also have ongoing health problems?
Get Better Together is led by people with health issues who are familiar with the challenges of managing symptoms, medications and health care needs.
Organizers say participants build confidence to better manage through group support and discussion on topics that include physical activity; healthy eating; better breathing; muscle relaxation; pain and fatigue management; communication and problem solving; action planning; medication use; and working with health care, among others.
Those who have participated in Get Better Together reported fewer days spent in hospital, more healthy behaviours and overall better health, with changes lasting well beyond the program, organizers say.
“I now know that I can deal with everything going on in my life, just differently and better,” said one past participant.
“Lifestyle changes are hard enough to [make] when healthy,” added another. “This group helped change those in the most severe season of my illness.”
Get Better Together is based on a model developed by the renowned Stanford University.
To find out more about the upcoming Get Better Together program to begin in Flin Flon on Thursday, Nov. 5, call Christa McIntyre at 204-681-3145.
– Compiled form a Northern Health Region news release
