It's A Whole Summer Of 'Healthier Living' In Solano County

From Solano County Public Health Services, Health & Social Services Department:

Chronic disease takes a huge toll on peoples’ lives, causing pain, disability, decreased physical activity and poor emotional health. To help those with chronic conditions, Solano Public Health offers free Healthier Living workshops where adults learn to manage their symptoms and maintain active and fulfilling lives.

“Dealing daily with conditions such as depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and respiratory problems, negatively impacts one’s quality of life,” said Dianna Gonzalez, Healthier Living program coordinator for Area Agency on Aging serving Napa and Solano.

“We’ve seen participants who have started the workshop depressed, overweight, barely able to walk or with out of control blood sugar, change their lives. They created a personal action plan, learned from our workshops and made amazing progress in just six weeks. Imagine going from relying on a wheelchair to joining a walking group, or losing more than 30 pounds and lowering blood pressure or blood sugar in six weeks. Some of our participants have accomplished this during the workshops.”

Guided by experienced lay leaders, Healthier Living participants learn how to manage symptoms, problem-solve and set weekly goals for behavior change, handle difficult emotions, eat well, practice relaxation techniques and exercise safely and easily.

The Healthier Living program is not disease-specific; it is designed to support and enhance treatment programs, Gonzalez explained.

Healthier Living is a series of six, 2.5-hour workshops that brings people with chronic diseases together with their family members and caregivers to learn healthier ways to live, to gain confidence and motivation to manage their health and feel more positive about life.

The Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano and Solano Public Health are working together to provide the free workshops which are based on Stanford University’s highly successful “Healthier Living Chronic Disease Self-Management Program,” originally developed in the 1990’s. The Solano County workshops are supported by Solano Public Health, Partners 4 Healthy Solano, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Healthier Living workshops in English and Spanish are offered at various sites throughout Solano and Counties. To locate a nearby workshop and for more information on Healthier Living, please contact Dianna Gonzalez at (707) 643-1797 ext. 314 or DiannaG@aaans.org.

Summer 2015 Healthier Living Workshops Schedule

Vacaville (Tuesdays)

Free Healthier Living workshop to improve quality of life for anyone with a chronic health condition will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, July 7 through August 11 at Creekside Mobile Home Park, 149 Aegean Way, Vacaville. Caregivers are welcome. To register, call the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano at (707) 643-1797 ext. 314. Healthier Living is sponsored by Solano Public Health, Partners 4 Healthy Solano, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vallejo (Wednesdays)

Free Healthier Living workshop to improve quality of life for anyone with a chronic health condition will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays, July 15 through August 19 atArea Agency on Aging, 400 Contra Costa St., Vallejo. Caregivers are welcome. To register, call the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano at (707) 643-1797 ext. 314. Healthier Living is sponsored by Solano Public Health, Partners 4 Healthy Solano, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fairfield (Wednesdays)

Free Healthier Living workshop to improve quality of life for anyone with a chronic health condition will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, August 12 through September 16 at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 1735 Enterprise Dr., Building 3, Fairfield. Caregivers are welcome. To register, call the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano at (707) 643-1797 ext. 314. Healthier Living is sponsored by Solano Public Health, Partners 4 Healthy Solano, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Suisun (Tuesdays)

Free Healthier Living workshop to improve quality of life for anyone with a chronic health condition will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, September 15 through October 20 at Suisun City Library, 601 Pintail Dr., Suisun. Caregivers are welcome. To register, call the Area Agency on Aging Serving Napa and Solano at (707) 643-1797 ext. 314. Healthier Living is sponsored by Solano Public Health, Partners 4 Healthy Solano, funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.