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State Health Department hands out federal aid

The state Department of Health and Senior Services has awarded nearly $350,000 in federal grants to 18 agencies to expand a community-based program that helps older adults better manage their chronic diseases, Acting Commissioner Dr. Tina Tan announced on Monday.

The program, called Take Control of Your Health in New Jersey, was developed by the School of Medicine at Stanford University as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. Tan said it is recognized internationally as a premiere, evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention program.

“Asthma, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and other chronic conditions pose serious challenges for older adults on a day-to-day basis,” Tan said. “Take Control of Your Health gives participants the knowledge, skills and confidence to take a more active role in their health care.”

The program includes a community workshop held for 2½ hours once a week for six weeks. Workshops are provided at no or low cost, and are offered periodically in all 21 counties. Some workshops are conducted in other languages and the new funding expands program delivery to individuals who speak Chinese, Spanish, French-Creole and Korean.

The grants, which ranged from $10,000 to $34,000, will be used to recruit and train individuals to become peer leaders, and to host Take Control of Your Health workshops in their communities. Funds will also be used to integrate chronic disease self-management screening questions into the aging network’s information and assistance and assessment processes in order to identify those individuals who may benefit from participation.

During workshops, participants learn strategies for managing symptoms, working with health care professionals, setting weekly goals, problem-solving, relaxing, handling difficult emotions, eating well, and exercising safely and easily.

Tan said the program has produced positive results for participants wherever it has been offered. People completing the course report improvements in physical activity, stamina and pain control, better communication with their health care providers, and reduced doctor and hospital visits.

Tan said the program has grown dramatically in New Jersey since 2006, when only one person was certified as a master trainer able to train peer leaders. Presently, the state has 130 master trainers, 300 peer leaders, and more than 3,000 people have completed a community workshop.

The agencies awarded Take Control of Your Health grants include:

Salem County Office on Aging - $21,000

Somerset County Office on Aging - $34,000

Sussex County Division of Senior Services - $40,000

Puerto Rican Assn. for Human Development, Middlesex County - $22,500

Jefferson Park Ministries, Union County - $22,500

Hoy Sun Ning Young Benevolent Association, Atlantic County - $22,500

Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Middlesex County - $31,000

Community Services Inc. of Ocean County - $31,000

Camden Area Health Education Center - $22,500

United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey, Essex County - $22,500

Prevention Links, Union County - $10,000

Hunterdon Prevention Resources, Hunterdon County - $10,000

Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Center for Health and Fitness, Mercer County - $10,000

RVSP of Burlington County - $10,000

Morris County Prevention is Key - $10,000

CentraState Medical Center, Monmouth County - $10,000

Mercer County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction - $10,000

Hackensack City Department of Health, Bergen County - $10,000

Individuals looking for Take Control of Your Health workshops in there area can find a list of local contacts on-line at www.state.nj.us/health/senior/cdsmp or by calling 1-800-792-8820.

The program is also now available in an on-line version at www.selfmanage.org.

—TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM