Diabetes, chronic pain telephone workshops to be held

The Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging is offering free health workshops in the new year.

One is a free, six-week Live Well with Diabetes telephone workshop in English and Spanish for adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes diseases.

Community members may participate in the comfort of their own home without having to use technology beyond the phone.

Registration is underway for the next phase of the workshop.

The group begins Jan. 12 and runs through Feb. 16. The Spanish workshops are held from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. The English workshops will be held from 10 to 11 a.m.

Each week a trained Live Well leader will facilitate the one-hour group phone calls. A native Spanish speaker will lead the Spanish workshops.

Participants will learn about healthy eating, high and low blood sugar, being active, sick day guidelines, tips for dealing with stress, foot care, making weekly action plans, and how to set small and achievable goals to combat and deal with the disease.

The participants will be mailed a toolkit at no cost.

The toolkit will consist of an instruction booklet, an exercise CD and the book, “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions. Participants of the Spanish workshop will receive “Tomando Control de Su Salud.”

The agency’s toll free conference call line will be used to connect the group.

Participants will be given a $25 grocery gift card, thanks to a generous grant from the Connecticut Community Foundation.

Class size is limited to six adults. Pre-registration is required.

Participants must be willing to share their name, address and phone number so that the toolkit can be mailed directly to them.

Call 203-575-4276 to sign up for the Spanish workshop. Call 203-574-6746 for the English workshop.

This program is sponsored by The Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging, the Connecticut state Unit on Aging, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health through grants from the Administration on Aging, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Generous support is also provided by the Connecticut Community Foundation.

Another free, six-week Live Well with Chronic Pain telephone workshop for adults is also being offered from 10 to 11 a.m. Jan. 11 through Feb. 15.

Adults with chronic pain will learn better ways of dealing with frustration, fatigue, isolation, and poor sleep, in the workshop.

Techniques to improve or maintain strength and energy, the appropriate use of medications about chronic pain, and ways to improve nutrition are also explored.

The workshop will also cover gentle chair exercises to help with pain and gain strength. Breaking the pain cycle, pacing activities, and rest and tips for communicating with healthcare providers will also be discussed.

Materials will be sent directly to participants at no cost, and include the book, “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain,” an instruction booklet, and exercise and relaxation CDs.

The workshop is also limited to six participants.

The agency will need the names, complete mailing addresses, and phone numbers of the participants’ in order to sign them up for the workshop, and mail out the books to them.

Call 203-574-6746 for more information, and to register.