Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1479100
10 ACTIVE AGING WEEK | OCTOBER 3-9, 2022 Get travel coverage from the brand Manitobans trust. Learn more and purchase travel plans with Manitoba Blue Cross: ■ Visit mb.bluecross.ca ■ Call 204.775.0151 ■ Talk to your trusted broker *Trademark of the CABCP †Trademark of the BCBSA Made-in-Manitoba coverage for getting-OUT-of-Manitoba trips Taking Charge of Your Well-Being BY JIM BENDER O ne out of three adults aged 55-plus suffers from multiple chronic conditions globally, according to a study conducted by the USA's National Library of Medicine. According to the study, the figure comes closer to three out of four adults living in developed countries. That means that three out of four people aged 55 or more in Manitoba likely suffers from at least one chronic condition. Those chronic conditions include arthritis, asthma, cancer, heart disease, anxiety, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and so on. "The last two years, anxiety has gone through the roof," says Amy Yonda, Outreach Coordinator for the Wellness Institute, referring to the effect of the Covid 19 pandemic on older adults. "COVID really affected a lot of people." To help those suffering from such conditions, the Wellness Institute is offering three free programs that will be available in October: Get Better Together, Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Total Brain Health. These workshops will help people to manage their conditions and provide them with skills to cope, support and even thrive. Get Better Together, a licensed program initiated by Stanford University, is a six- week course designed to help people manage better through group support and take charge of their issues. It's also for those who support those who are suffering. Currently, it's offered online but may return to offer some in- person workshops this fall. "We just saw a huge gap there," says Dawn Ziemanski, another Outreach Coordinator at the Wellness Institute. "We wanted people to take charge of their own health." CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 The Wellness Institute will offer three free online programs in October - Get Better Together, Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Total Brain Health.