Guest Blogger from Howard Brown Health shares resources for seniors

Please welcome our guest blogger Kelly Rice of Howard Brown Health. Kelly is an expert in health and aging, and will be bringing evidence-based programming to H.O.M.E.'s residents this fall. Today she shares more about how such programs help older adults address chronic health conditions and increase overall wellness.

According to the National Council on Aging, 80% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition and 68% have at least two or more chronic health conditions.

As our communities age and the percentage of individuals with chronic diseases increase, the medical and public health fields are looking to create responses that will meet the needs of impacted groups and will reduce the negative impact that chronic disease can have on individuals, families, and communities.

One method that is proving to be effective is through evidence-based programs and services.  These health and wellness programs have been rigorously studied and evaluated to determine if they are effective in positively impacting participants’ health and well-being.

Many of these programs have over 20 years of published research, showing positive changes in health outcomes for participants.

This includes decreased blood pressure rates, decreased A1C rates, and improved activity of daily life functioning.

Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) workshops, developed through Stanford University, are examples of evidence-based programming.

Some interesting statistics about CDSME:

• There are twenty programs that are formally recognized as CDSME programs.
• From March 2010 to July 2018, the program has completed over 33,553 workshops serving over 364,323 participants.
• Over 74% of participants completed the entire workshop program
• The top chronic conditions that participants reported include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, arthritis, and diabetes.

Howard Brown Health is committed to providing aging focused health and wellness services, as well as, programs to assist all adults in addressing chronic health concerns. We are currently offering the following evidence-based programs:

• Take Charge of Your Health: a six week chronic disease self-management program that uses a skill-share, peer to peer interactive model that has been shown to improve health outcomes across many chronic illnesses.  

• Take Charge of Your Diabetes: a six week diabetes self-management program that uses a skill-share, peer to peer interactive model that has been shown to improve health outcomes.  

• Matter of Balance: an eight week program designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults.

All three of the above CDSME programs are offered to both Howard Brown patients and community members. If you are interested in participating in Take Charge of Your Health, Take Charge of Your Diabetes, or Matter of Balance, please contact Howard Brown Health Aging Services at 773-630-9429 or theagingproject@howardbrown.org.

Keep informed of upcoming Aging Services programming and services by joining our bi-monthly mailing list. Please send an email to theagingproject@howardbrown.org to be added.

Kelly Rice is the Program Manager for Intensive Community Care Services at Howard Brown Health in Chicago, IL.  She currently oversees the Ryan White Part A medical case management program, the development of a diabetes case management program and the development of the aging health and wellness program at Howard Brown. She recently completed a comprehensive health-focused aging needs assessment for the aging LGBTQ Chicago population. Kelly is an active member of the Chicago LGBTQ Aging Network and the American Society on Aging Chicago Roundtable planning committee.

Kelly and Howard Brown will be working with H.O.M.E. to provide evidence-based programming to seniors living in our Intergenerational Housing program. Learn more about our program!

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