Classes and Evidence Based Wellness and Caregiver Programs

Click here to download a printable brochure that includes information on the programs listed below

Tri-County Office on Aging offers five evidence based programs to meet the needs of older adults, their families and caregivers. The programs offered are: Diabetes PATH, Chronic Pain PATH, A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls, Powerful Tools for Caregivers and Creating Confident Caregivers ®. All programs have trained facilitators and come with the materials needed to participate. Scheduled workshops are listed below.

Diabetes PATH (Personal Action Toward Health)

The American Diabetes Association identifies this program as meeting the Diabetes Support Initiative criteria for support programming.

Click here for a testimonial video. 

Diabetes PATH is Michigan’s name for the Stanford Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP). The workshop meets in small groups (approximately 8-15 participants) and is led by 2 trained facilitators. The workshop meets for 2 1/2 hours once per week for 6 weeks in community locations. Workshop participants learn about diabetes, how to manage blood sugars, what healthy eating means, how to read labels, and practice menu planning. The workshop also addresses effects of stress and positive ways to deal with it, how to choose appropriate exercise for fitness and safety, proper skin and foot care and skills for communicating with health professionals. Participants set goals by developing action plans and participate in problem solving each week.

The program was developed and originally tested by Stanford University to help participants learn the techniques and strategies they need for the day-to-day management of pain. Studies show significant improvements in symptoms of hypoglycemia, healthy eating patterns and reading food labels, communicating with physicians, depression, patient activation and self-efficacy, as well as, fewer emergency room visits.

City	Location	Day of the week	Start date	End date	Time	How to register	Cost
Mailed Tool Kit + Weekly Phone Calls No internet or computer required	The comfort of your own home	Wednesdays	5/18/22	6/22/22	1:00 – 2:00 pm	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465 Register by Tuesday, May 3 to ensure you receive the materials on time	Free of charge but donations are accepted Funding provided by Lions Club International
Virtual using Zoom	The comfort of your own home	Thursdays	6/9/22	7/14/22	2:00- 4:30 pm	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465 or e-mail histedc@tcoa.org	Free of charge but donations are accepted

Chronic Pain PATH (Personal Action Toward Health)

Click here for a testimonial letter from a workshop graduate.

Chronic Pain PATH is Michigan’s name for the Stanford Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP). The workshop meets in small groups (approximately 8-15 participants) and is led by 2 trained facilitators. The workshop meets for 2 1/2 hours once per week for 6 weeks in community locations. Workshop participants learn how to manage chronic pain without increasing medications. Topics include pacing and planning, the mind-body connection, distraction techniques, communication, healthy eating, stress management, and much more. Participants set goals by developing action plans and participate in problem solving each week.

The program was developed and rigorously tested by Stanford University to help people learn the techniques and strategies they need for the day-to-day management of pain. Research studies found that, on average, people who have participated in the program have more energy, less pain, less dependence on others, improved mental health, are more involved in everyday activities, and are more satisfied with their lives compared to those who have not taken the program. Chronic Pain PATH is designed to benefit adults who have primary or secondary pain. Pain is defined as being chronic or long term when it lasts for longer than 3 to 6 months or beyond the normal healing time of an injury.

TCOA is a member of the Capital  Area Health Alliance and recently partnered with them in the development of a new brochure on Pain Management. Click here to view the brochure.

City	Location	Day of the week	Start date	End date	Time	How to register	Cost
Holt	Sam Corey Senior Center 2108 Cedar St.	Wednesdays	7/13/22	8/17/22	1:00 – 3:30 pm	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465	Free of charge but donations are accepted

Cancer PATH: Thriving and Surviving

Cancer PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) is an interactive workshop designed to help individuals with any kind of cancer improve their health and feel better. Whether newly diagnosed, in active treatment, or living beyond It, this program helps survivors cope with the concerns, thoughts, and health conditions that accompany having a cancer diagnosis.

City

Location

Day of the week

Start date

End date

Time

How to register

Cost

Virtual using Zoom

The comfort of your own home

Tuesdays

5/24/22

6/28/22

2:00 – 4:30 pm

Call 517-592-1974

Free of charge but donations are accepted

PATH (Personal Action Toward Health)

PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) is an interactive workshop designed to help individuals with any kind of chronic condition improve how they manage their situation to cope and feel better.

City

Location

Day of the week

Start date

End date

Time

How to register

Cost

TBD

A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls

Click here for a testimonial video. 

A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls is an award-winning evidence-based program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels in older adults. The workshop meets in small groups (approximately 8-12 participants) and is led by 2 trained facilitators. The workshop meets for 2 hours per session for 8 sessions in community locations. Participants learn to identify and recognize beliefs about falls and fitness, identify barriers to exercise and its importance to preventing falls, identify potential home and community fall hazards and strategies to reduce the risk of falling and learn about community resources.

Matter of Balance participation is associated with cost savings in unplanned hospitalizations, skilled nursing facility care, and an increased use of physician office visits.

City	Location	Day of the week	Start date	End date	Time	How to register	Cost
Virtual using Zoom	The comfort of your own home	Tuesdays and Thursdays	5/24/22 Zoom orientation Thursday, 5/19/22 at 10:00 am	6/16/22	10:00 am – 12 noon	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465 or e-mail histedc@tcoa.org	Free of charge but donations are accepted

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Powerful Tools for Caregivers is an educational program designed to help family caregivers take better care of themselves while caring for a family member or friend.  The workshop meets in small groups (approximately 8-14 participants) and is led by 2 trained facilitators. Powerful Tools for Caregivers meets for 2 ½ hours once per week for 6 weeks in community locations (or 90 minutes once per week for 6 weeks for virtual workshops). This program is not intended for professional caregivers. This program will give YOU, the caregiver, tools to: help you reduce stress, communicate effectively with other family members, your doctor, and paid help, take care of yourself, reduce guilt, anger, and depression, help you relax, make tough decisions, set goals and problem-solve.

This program was developed in Portland, OR and has been shown to improve self-care behaviors, emotional management (reduced guilt, anger, and depression), self-efficacy (increased confidence in coping with caregiving demands), and use of community resources.

City	Location	Day of the week	Start date	End date	Time	How to register	Cost
East Lansing	The Peoples Church 200 W. Grand River Ave. Meet in the Robertson Room	Tuesdays	7/26/22	8/30/22	1:30 – 4:00 pm	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465	Free of charge but donations are accepted
Virtual using Zoom	The comfort of your own home	Wednesdays	9/28/22	11/2/22	2:00 – 3:30 pm	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465	Free of charge but donations are accepted

Creating Confident Caregivers®

Creating Confident Caregivers® provides persons caring for an individual with dementia at home with information, skills, and attitudes to manage stress and learn effective caregiving skills. Meet for 2 hours once a week for six weeks. Creating Confident Caregivers® utilizes tested and effective training methods from the University of Minnesota’s Savvy Caregiver Program.

In research conducted by the University of Minnesota, participants reported an increase in well-being, decrease in symptoms of depression, increased self-care, and more confidence in their abilities to manage the situation.

City	Location	Day of the week	Start date	End date	Time	How to register	Cost
Virtual using Zoom	The comfort of your own home	Tuesdays	6/7/22	7/12/22	2:00 – 4:00 pm	Call TCOA at 517-887-1465 or e-mail histedc@tcoa.org WORKSHOP IS FULL but call to be placed on a wait list	Free of charge but donations are accepted

Aging Mastery Program

Aging Mastery is a 10-session webinar series that aims to help baby boomers and older adults take key steps to improve their well-being, add stability to their lives, and strengthen their ties to the community.

City	Location	Day of the week	Start date	End date	Time	How to register	Cost
TBD

Enhance®Fitness locations

Enhance®Fitness, a low-cost, evidence-based group exercise program, helps older adults at all levels of fitness become more active, energized, and empowered to sustain independent lives. Class schedule and potential cost varies. Call hosting organizations for details.

Name of organization	Address	Phone number
Dewitt YMCA	13161 Schavey Rd. Dewitt, MI  48820	517-827-9660
Eaton Rapids Senior Center	201 Grant Eaton Rapids, MI  48827	517-663-2335
Foster Community Center	200 N. Foster Lansing, MI  48912	517-483-4233
Mt. Hope United Methodist Church	501 E. Mount Hope Lansing, MI  48910	517-482-1549
Oak Park YMCA	900 Long Blvd. Lansing, MI  48911	517-669-9622
Sam Corey Senior Center	2108 Cedar St. Holt, MI  48842	517-694-1549
Suntree Apartments	1100 Sunview Dr. St. Johns, MI  48879	517-827-9645
Sycamore Village	900 West Columbia Rd. Mason, MI  48854	517-676-5575
Union Missionary Baptist Church	500 S. Martin Luther King Blvd. Lansing, MI  48915	517-485-7705
University Lutheran Church	1040 S. Harrison Rd. East Lansing, MI  48823	517-332-2559
Westside Community YMCA	3700 Old Lansing Rd. Lansing, MI  48917	517-312-9622
Williamston Area Senior Center	201 School St. Williamston, MI  48895	517-655-5173

Arthritis Foundation Exercise Classes via Zoom

The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program is a low-impact physical activity program proven to reduce pain and decrease stiffness. The routines include gentle range-of-motion exercises that are suitable for every fitness level. Weights, balls and TheraBand’s are used in this class. See schedule below for class offerings. Once registered, you may attend on a drop-in basis whenever it is convenient for you via Zoom.

Tuesday 10:00 am, Wednesday 10:00 am, Thursday 10:00 am, Friday 11:00am

TO REGISTER contact Abbie Mars at marsa@valleyaaa.orgThis program is FREE of charge

Silver Sneakers Stability via Zoom

Silver Sneakers Stability is a home workout using Zoom designed to help you become stronger and improve balance. The movements taught in class focus on specific exercises to improve strength and power around the ankle, knee, and hip joints, while improving your reaction time. This class is designed for fall prevention and is suitable for nearly every fitness level. It can be adapted depending on the skill of individual participants. A chair may be used for balance and support.

Class is offered twice a week. Once registered, you may attend on a drop-in basis whenever it is convenient for you.

Mondays 10:00 – 11:00 am, Tuesdays 2:00 – 3:00 pm

Silver Sneakers members are free of charge; others will be asked to pay$3.00 per class. TO REGISTER contact Abbie Mars at marsa@valleyaaa.org