Milford Wellness Village WeCare offers self-management programs

Milford Wellness Village WeCare program offers workshops designed to manage chronic illnesses like diabetes

Milford Wellness Village’s WeCare program, designed to promote better healthcare decisions and well-being through personalized relationships with clients, will offer several programs over the next few months. These are self-management programs available online that are designed to promote healthy living as well as the management of chronic diseases.

On August 22, the program will offer a Healthy Living Self-Management Online Workshop that will discuss chronic diseases. The program provides access to essential tools and resources designed to effectively manage chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. The workshop is designed for those who find it challenging to navigate their condition and want to better manage the illness on their own.

Another online workshop is planned for October 9 entitled “Empowering Diabetes Control and Healthy Living.” Diabetes is a chronic, complex illness and it necessitates constant monitoring in order to avoid complications. The evidence-based program offered through WeCare is designed to empower those with the illness with knowledge and skills with the goal of taking control of their health and living a fulfilling, vibrant life.

Those looking for a fun way to start living a healthy life will enjoy Bingocize, a 10-week, evidence-based program approved by the National Council o Aging (NCOA) and SNAP-Ed. This unique program combines health information using the popular game of bingo with exercise and it is specifically designed with senior citizens in mind. Sessions are held twice each week and last between 45 and 60 minutes.

WeCare will offer “A Matter of Balance,” a specialized program designed to reduce the fear of falling while also enhancing activity levels in older adults. Attendees can choose between virtual and in-person formats for these eight 2-hour sessions in-person or nine 2-hour sessions virtually.

On October 25, in partnership with the University of Delaware, WeCare will offer “Dining with Diabetes.” The program is designed to teach those with the illness how to follow a careful meal plan, the first step to managing diabetes and keeping blood sugars in a healthy range. For many, this is the hardest part of managing diabetes. The program provides tips on reducing sugar, salt and fat in foods while still eating meals that taste good.

The program is a five-class series for those with diabetes and family members. It includes diabetes education, cooking demonstrations and tasting healthy foods. After each lesson, healthy recipes are sent home along with knowledge about how to manage diabetes. The first class talks about mealtime for individuals with diabetes while the second deals with dessert. The third covers main dishes, the fourth side dishes and the final class talks about seasonal reunion. The cost of the five sessions is $50.

Registration for all classes is required. For the Chronic Disease, Diabetes, Bincocize and A Matter of Balance, registration is available at https://wecareservices.org/programs-update/. Complete the online form and a staff member will contact you about class times. To register for Dining with Diabetes, visit https://events.udel.edu/search/events?search=dining+with+diabetes and choose Milford Wellness Village.