Better Choices, Better Health™ Goes National

No-cost online workshop for people with arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and all other chronic conditions now available nationwide at SelfManage.org

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council on Aging (NCOA) today announced the national launch of Better Choices, Better Health™, the online version of the internationally recognized Chronic Disease Self Management Program (CDSMP).  Registration for, and information about, the online workshop can be found at SelfManage.org.  Offered at no-cost, spaces are limited, and availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/NCOALOGO)

Better Choices, Better Health™ is a six-week online workshop that helps people with chronic long-term conditions manage their symptoms and take control of their health.

"Expanding this offering will help us reach some of the millions of adults nationwide who live with one or more chronic diseases, many of whom struggle to find ways to manage their condition," said Jay Greenberg, senior vice president of Social Enterprise at NCOA.  "Better Choices, Better Health provides a powerful and proven way for individuals to get online and feel better."

Developed and tested at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the workshop is offered exclusively through NCOA. This national effort is supported with funding from sanofi-aventis Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies.

An Evidence-Based, Six-Week Workshop—Available Online

Rigorous studies have demonstrated that Better Choices, Better Health™ helps individuals decrease their fatigue, exercise more, expand their self-confidence and improve their health.  Led by trained facilitators often with a chronic condition themselves, participants address topics such as fatigue, sleep, pain, shortness of breath,  stress reduction, dealing with difficult emotions, planning for the future, locating and using community resources, building communication skills, and asking for help.

Participants can log onto the free weekly sessions from any computer with an Internet connection, including dial-up. Sessions are posted on a secure Web site each week for six weeks. There are no set times for workshop sessions; participants log on remotely at their convenience to complete exercises, read posted material, and interact with others.  The workshops can be particularly useful for those individuals without access to transportation or who prefer the anonymity of a virtual group.

In addition to the online Better Choices, Better Health™ workshop, in-person community-based CDSMP workshops are provided locally around the country. Through funding from the U.S. Administration on Aging, these offerings are currently promoted to tens of thousands of people in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Information on the community-based CDSMP program can be obtained by emailing [email protected].      

About the National Council on Aging

The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for millions of older adults—especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged—and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more information, please visit: www.NCOA.org | http://www.facebook.com/NCOAging | www.twitter.com/NCOAging

About the Stanford Patient Education Center

The Stanford Patient Education Research Center is part of the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, located in Palo Alto, CA.  For nearly three decades, the Center has developed, tested, and evaluated self-management programs for English and Spanish speakers with chronic health problems. All of our programs are designed to help people gain self-confidence in their ability to control their symptoms and how their health problems affect their lives.  For more information visit patienteducation.stanford.edu.

SOURCE National Council on Aging