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Lodi Public Library to host class about living with illness

Lodi News-Sentinel (CA) - 7/30/2014

July 30--For the next six weeks, Lodians will have the chance to learn about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle while managing a chronic disease through the Living Healthy with Diabetes and Chronic Diseases class beginning on Thursday.

Students who take the class will likely see improvements in exercise, cognitive symptom management, communication with physicians, fatigue and disability, said Arline DelaCruz, CareVan program supervisor at St. Joseph's Medical Center, who will serve as one of the class leaders.

"Evidence has shown that participants have been noted to have an overall improvement in health with this program," she said.

The class was developed to assist people living with chronic illnesses by the Division of Family and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine at Stanford University.

Each session in the six-week class will be led by two non-professionals who are living with chronic illnesses. The leaders have completed 32 to 40 hours of training using a detailed scripted manual provided by Stanford. Some of the leaders for this class are students of the St. Joseph's diabetes class or hospital staff, DelaCruz said, while others are from other community-based organizations.

The 2 1/2-hour class will consist of a lecture and group participation as well as small group work. Topics covered will include techniques for dealing with problems such as frustration, fatigue and pain; appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength and endurance; the correct way to use medications; how to communicate with family and health professionals; nutrition; decision-making; and how to evaluate new treatments.

The class will be held for six weeks from 6 to 8:30 p.m. each Thursday beginning this week at the Lodi Public Library, 301 W. Locust St. Admission is free but space is limited.

Students who register are encouraged to attend all six classes. To register, call 209-333-5503.

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(c)2014 the Lodi News-Sentinel (Lodi, Calif.)

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