Improve Your Health with a Buddy

You’ve been diagnosed with a chronic health condition. Now what? In most cases we get sick and eventually recover, but it’s different with a chronic diagnosis such as diabetes, arthritis, or heart disease. Your constant tiredness, discomfort or pain may not always be understood by others. The limits on lifestyle can also take a toll on your mental health. Even with medication and lifestyle changes, you may never return to normal, instead you must find a new normal. Naturally, this can lead to feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and even fear. The good news is there are actions you can take to help relieve your stress and put you on a path to living your best life.

Understand your condition
The more you understand your health condition, risk factors, and symptoms, the more prepared you will be to manage them.
• Ask your doctors as many questions as you need to so you can feel confident about understanding and managing your health.
• If you want to do additional online research, seek out evidence-based research from credible sources. Not all information on the internet is good information and can cause even more fear and anxiety.
• Try to familiarize yourself with common terms involved in your condition. Investigate your treatment options, different medications, and important diet changes. The knowledge you gain will make it easier to talk with your doctor and give you peace of mind.

Put together a wellness team
There are many areas of health to consider, and your doctor may only be an expert in one. Put together a wellness team to help keep your condition under control, reduce symptoms and raise your spirits. Eventually, you may discover you’re living a healthier life than ever before. Here are some people to consider adding to your team.
• Start by finding a doctor you love—someone you trust and who will listen to your concerns.
• Physical activity is an important part of managing your health, but it can be difficult to know what your body can do. A trainer can help find appropriate exercises for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance.
• The right nutrition can help reduce inflammation and risk factors so you can feel your best. A nutritionist/dietitian may be the best person to help create a meal plan that works for you.
• Chronic disease doesn’t just affect your physical health. It can also impact your mental health. There are many emotions, challenges, and lifestyle changes that happen as a result of a diagnosis. A therapist can help you process your feelings and maintain good mental health.
• Find a social group or activity to join that will help boost spirits. Research shows that social connection can increase your feelings of belonging, purpose, and happiness, as well as reduce levels of stress.

Get a Health Buddy
It’s important to know you are not alone. We all know the “buddy system” works. It helps to have a friend to talk to when you’re feeling overwhelmed or to provide encouragement when you’re doing well. After a diagnosis, it’s difficult to keep track of all the things you need to do. A buddy can help keep you on track. This is what Health Buddies is all about! Seniors in Service matches caring, trained volunteers with individuals living with a chronic condition to provide reassurance and support your path to better health.

A recent Health Buddies client shared how his Health Buddy made all the difference in helping him manage his diabetes: “I sometimes forgot to check my blood sugar or take my medication on time. Regular calls from my Health Buddy helped me stay on schedule. I looked forward to his calls. He made me laugh and we got to be friends. My lab work improved, and my doctor said, ‘I don’t know what you are doing, but keep doing it’.”

Health Buddies can also help connect you to the community resources you need to maintain your health and independence; this could include referrals for meal services, transportation, or financial assistance.

Health Buddies is free and can be the solution you need for better health. If you or someone you know is dealing with a chronic condition, sign up today at www.SeniorsInService.org/health-buddies or call (813) 492-8931.

Become a Health Buddy
Research shows volunteering is good for your health, giving you a sense of purpose and alleviating stress. Seniors in Service provides training and ongoing peer support for Health Buddies throughout their service. If you are interested in making a meaningful contribution to the life of a person with a chronic illness, enrolling as a Health Buddies volunteer is easy at www.seniorsinservice.org/health-buddies. Click “Volunteer Sign-Up” to complete the volunteer application form or call (813) 492-8931.

In addition to Health Buddies, Seniors in Service provides many ways you can use your talents to help others, including writing cards of encouragement to veterans, providing telephone reassurance for isolated seniors, or tutoring a child. Learn more about Seniors in Service and Health Buddies at www.SeniorsInService.org and follow us on Facebook @SeniorsinService.