journal articles
“EXERCISING FREQUENTLY AND EATING PROPERLY HAS HELPED IMMENSELY”: BENEFITS OF AN ONLINE CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP FOR LOW-INCOME HOMEBOUND OLDER ADULTS
S. An, N.G. Choi
J Aging Res Clin Practice 2013;2(3):289-294
Background: Low-income homebound older adults need chronic disease self-management knowledge and skills to cope with their multiple medical conditions. Objectives: This study explored low-income homebound older adults’ experience, described in their own words, of online chronic disease self-management workshop. Design and setting: Twenty recipients (aged 62+ years) of a home-delivered meals (HDM) program in a central Texas city participated in a feasibility study. Measures: Sources of data were the deidentified bulletin board posts written by each participant and transcripts from two focus groups with the participants, conducted 5-8 weeks after completion of the BCBH workshop. Results: Two most important mechanisms of change that the participants adopted were exercise and healthy eating. They have also increased their knowledge of chronic disease and benefited from interactions with other participants. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of reaching these older adults to help them get into such a program.