Course looks at chronic health issues

A free course presented by the Flathead City-County Health Department beginning next month looks to help provide skills for everyday health and wellness.

Living Life Well: the Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop begins Monday, May 8 at the Whitefish Community Center. Classes run for six weeks and are held from 9-11 a.m.

“This is for anyone with a chronic disease or heath issues to learn new skills,” said Jessica McDonald, health promotion specialist with the health department.

The education program through the Montana Department of Health and Human Services was developed by Stanford University.

The course is for anyone looking to learn health and wellness life skills. The course is suggested for those that have arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, depression, anxiety or any other health issue. The program is designed to provide life-changing skills in exercise, medication management, nutrition, communication, physical limitations, fear, frustration or worry.

Topics include getting a good night’s sleep, setting an action plan, problem solving, introduction to physical activity, pain and fatigue management, healthy eating, communication skills, problem solving, healthy eating, making informed treatment decisions and working with health care professionals and heath care organizations.

At the conclusion of this Chronic Disease Self-Management Program the hope is that participants will walk away with new self-management skills and an action plan in place to continue practicing healthy behaviors, noted McDonald.

To sign up contact Kathy Cozad at the Whitefish Community Center at 860-4923.