Through the HealthScope program, health care professionals offer programs emphasizing wellness and disease prevention at senior centers throughout the county. Topics include vision screening, diabetes self-management, stress management, hearing screenings, weight management, cancer education and screening, arthritis management and much more.
Blood pressure screenings are held on a regular basis at most senior centers. Fitness programs, including those adapted for frail participants, and nutrition education seminars are also available. In some instances, screening has detected a problem in the early stages allowing for successful treatment.
BCDA as part of a statewide grant with Maryland Department of Aging, if offering a series of workshops for people with chronic conditions, this is modeled after the Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop from Stanford University.
A chronic condition is a medical condition that may cause suffering and of loss of physical abilities over time. Examples of some chronic conditions are dibetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, lung disease, asthma and depression.
These workshops are offered free of charge to anyone 18 years of age and older either having or living with someone with a chronic condition. The workshops run for six-weeks, two and a half hours a week and is facilitated by laymen, not professionals.
Throughout 2008, the Department of Aging will be presenting programs to educate older adults and caregivers on various issues associated loss and grief. Grief can be experienced throughout the life cycle. Loss and change can cause an individual to miss what or who they use to have in their life. Examples of loss that could cause grief include retirement, relocation, death of a friend or loved one, changes in health or loss of a pet. May Topic: Helping Friends Who Are Grieving
The Department of Aging has partnered for May with the Hospice of Baltimore to offer educational presentations on helping friends who are grieving. Many losses in life can cause a person to experience grief: the loss of employment, a house, a loved one or other significant items in your life. Each senior center throughout the county will offer these free beneficial sessions to provide an overview of what grief is, the stages of grief and how it affects the individual.
June Topic: Coping with Life's Transition
Learning strategies to deal with life's natural ups and downs is key to leading a well adjusted life. The Department of Aging and PEERS will offer educational presentations that will provide key methods to address the transitions that may occur in life. Each senior center throughout the county will hold these free workshops.
Revised April 24, 2008
Courthouse 