Take Charge of Your Health! Self-Management Programs


Are you an adult age 55 or older with an ongoing or long-term health condition?

If you or someone you know has a chronic disease or long lasting health condition, join a FREE six-week workshop (2 ½ hour weekly sessions), Take Charge of Your Health: Chronic Disease Self Management (CDSM). You’ll get the support you need, find practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment choices, and learn better ways to talk with your doctor and family about your health.

We can help you live a healthier life, and maybe even reduce cost to the health care system, through this workshop series. For people with chronic illness, CDSM has been shown to improve health and communication with doctors, while reducing distress and helping manage symptoms like fatigue, pain, and depression.

Learn from trained leaders who understand firsthand what you are experiencing. Workshops are geared to individual participants’ needs.

Set your own weekly goals and make a step-by-step plan to improve your health—and your life.

Health promotion classFor adults with diabetes, Take Charge of Your Health:  Diabetes Self Management (DSM) provides proven techniques and practical ways to manage diabetes in the same six-week, 2 1/2 hour weekly session format.

For adults with chronic pain — pain lasting more than six months — Take Charge of Your Health: Chronic Pain Self Management (CPSM) helps individuals living with back pain, nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and other types of chronic pain to improve their confidence in managing their symptoms and daily activities. The workshop meets weekly for 2 1/2 hours, over a six week period.

For adults who are caregivers for a family member or friend with a memory problem, Take Charge of Your Health: Building Better Caregivers (BBC) will help you learn to reduce stress, manage your family member’s difficult behaviors, take better care of your own health, get the help you need from paid caregivers, family members, or friends, and communicate better with the health care team. BBC meets weekly for 2 1/5 hours over a six week period.

Leader Training – Volunteer to help others lead healthier lives with chronic conditions by becoming a CDSM, DSM or CPSM leader.  In pairs, leaders facilitate workshops of 10-16 participants.

To register for a workshop, leader training, off site schedule or for further information, call (216) 421-1350. There is no charge for workshops or leader training. Donations are requested and appreciated.

These programs were originally developed at Stanford University and are licensed by the Self-Management Resource Center  and are supported by the Fairhill Annual Fund, Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging, The Cleveland Foundation Encore Cleveland Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control, the Fairhill Partners Annual Fund, and donations of time and skill by volunteer coaches – all part of the Fairhill Partners Unpaid Staff team.

Encore (CF)