Federal grant to help Healthy Living for ME ‘self-care’ programs

Healthy Living for ME, a partnership between three area agencies on aging organizations, has received an $840,000 federal grant.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Community Living award is intended to help the three agencies — Spectrum Generations, SeniorsPlus and Aroostook Agency on Aging — develop education programs to help those with chronic diseases more effectively self-manage their care.

“Healthy Living for ME provides Maine seniors with a variety of evidence-based health and wellness classes that emphasize self-care, independence, and preventative measures for those who have chronic conditions and pain,” U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, said in a joint news release announcing the award. “By ensuring that older adults have the resources and tools they need to manage their conditions, this funding will lower health care costs and help Mainers live longer, healthier lives.”

In April, Collins and King sent a letter to DHHS’s Administration on Community Living in support of Healthy Living for ME’s grant application.

Healthy Living for ME currently provides a single point of entry to a statewide network of workshops that empower adults to address and better manage their health. The workshops the organization offers focus on improving balance and preventing falls and helping adults manage chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis and diabetes.