Her action plan was to eat less rice, spaghetti and meat. Faduma Jama accomplished her goal.
“I did it,” said an exuberant Jama during a Healthier Living Workshop in the City Heights Wellness Center. “I ate less rice and more fruits and vegetables.”
Older adults suffering from chronic illnesses are learning how to eat healthier, solve problems, improve their communication skills and make a healthy action plan during seminars called, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, which was developed by the Stanford University Patient Education Center.
“In my culture food is very important,” said Jama, explaining when Somalis come to the United States, they continue eating the same foods but lead more sedentary lives, leading to high rates of type 2 diabetes, one of the four chronic diseases that result in nearly 60 percent of local deaths.
“Here, the elderly don’t walk or go out that much. I wanted to educate myself but also pass the information to my community,” she said. Jama works for Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) and Somali Family Services.
The six-week, 15-hour workshops are conducted by the County Health and Human Services Agency Aging and Independence Services (AIS) using $36,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The workshop Jama and 15 others are taking is a “train the trainer” workshop. They are taking the classes for their own good health, but also for the benefit of seniors they teach.
“We are teaching prospective workshop leaders the procedures and methods for facilitating workshops in the community,” said Charlotte Tenney, Healthier Living Workshop Coordinator for AIS. “These people are volunteers or employees of organizations that intend to offer the workshops at their locations.”
The future leaders come from organizations and agencies such as Somali Family Services, Project Concern International, UPAC, and Scripps and Sharp healthcare organizations.
“I am getting older, so I wanted to learn for myself, but also to teach seniors in my community,” said Leticia Corona, who also works for UPAC. One of her goals was to start going to the gym at least four times per week. “It was hard, but I did go.”
When Jama, Corona and their classmates complete the workshop, their names will be added to the pool of certified workshop leaders. To date 50 leaders have been trained. Some work for the five local organizations and others work in the Calexico and Riverside area.
About 400 seniors—from senior residence buildings, churches and community councils—have completed the workshop. An additional 100 will be trained in the next few months to meet the project’s goal.
Workshop participants are coached to make their own action plan that is specific and achievable. They are provided with tools and techniques to manage pain, reduce fatigue and stress, relax, and establish habits of nutritious eating and appropriate exercise.
Managing their own health and improving their quality of life is important for seniors, especially now that Americans are living longer. Research has shown that seniors who are mentally, physically, emotionally and socially engaged enjoy a higher quality of life, maintain cognitive function, stay healthier and retain independence longer.
“Typically, people who complete the workshop find they have better control of their lives and a reduced dependence on medical assistance,” said Tenney. “They make new friends who support them to maintain a positive outlook. They report a higher level of contentment and satisfaction with life.”
For more information or to find a workshop near you, visit Healthier Living.
