Health coaches: Yves Bulger (Acadian Peninsula), Chad Duplessie (Miramichi), Lesley Melanson (Saint John), Cindy Cheng, (Edmundston) Claude Vautour (Moncton) and Christine Mayrand (Upper River Valley).
By Sean Sullivan
Communications Coordinator, HEPAC
An innovative project to help New Brunswickers who want to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes is introducing health coaches to six regions across the province.
Live Well!/Bien Vivre! is bringing non-clinical health coaches to Edmundston, the Upper River Valley, Saint John, Moncton, Miramichi and the Acadian Peninsula. The coaches will work one-on-one with clients to make informed lifestyle choices and set realistic goals for wellness.
The project is collaboration between the Canadian Diabetes Association, Medavie Health Foundation and the New Brunswick Department of Health. Participants can self-refer by contacting their local coach, or sign up at one of the many Live Well!/Bien Vivre! risk-assessment clinics that will be offered around New Brunswick.
Julie Atkinson, project manager for Live Well!/Bien Vivre!, says it?s a unique approach that takes into account the unique needs of each community and individual.
?Research tells us that healthy lifestyle choices can prevent type 2 diabetes from developing and prevent or delay complications of those living with the disease,? she said.
While primary healthcare providers ? e.g., doctors, nurses and dietitians? ? provide health coaching, they often don?t have the time within a busy practice to help the person go through all the motions, Atkinson said.
That?s where the Live Well!/Bien Vivre! health coaches come in.
?We?re like any coach: Our role is to motivate our clients,? said Christine Mayrand, a registered dietician and health coach for the Upper River Valley. ?We?re a friend they can count on if they have questions, and someone who will call to check in on their progress.?
Mayrand meets with clients on their own turf to develop personal plans for wellness, whether that?s at a grocery store, library or a local coffee shop. The objective is to help those at risk of developing or those already living with type 2 diabetes create personal, attainable goals: smoking cessation, eating healthy, improving physical fitness or gaining greater self-confidence to self manage.
?Everyone has something different they want to work on,? she said. ?I?m there to support them in healthy changes and make them more accountable for their goals.?
At the risk-assessment clinics, a one-page handout and checklist from the Canadian Diabetes Association asks about family history of diabetes, health complications, blood pressure and more, allowing individuals to work with the health coach to self-assess their risk of diabetes.
The results of the assessment may be a wake-up call for some, Atkinson said.
One-third to one-half of people with diabetes may not be diagnosed, the Public Health Agency of Canada has warned. That?s especially relevant in New Brunswick, where one in 10 people are estimated to be living with diabetes, according to the province?s department of health. That?s up from one in 13 just six years ago.
?For many who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the flood of new information can be overwhelming?, Atkinson said. ?Health coaches live in the community, know of the available resources and can help develop a personal plan for wellness.?
?As an example, our health coach may ask, ?Where do you want to start?? If it?s walking, then they?ll help the client set goals for walking, or connect them with a local walking club,? she said.
?We?re there to help the client work through challenges in a real-life, non-judgmental way.?
Individuals who wish to take part can contact their regional health coach:
Edmundston: Cindy Cheng | Cindy.Cheng@diabetes.ca | 506-253-9975
Upper River Valley: Christine Mayrand | Christine.Mayrand@diabetes.ca | 506-425-0630
Saint John: Lesley Melanson | Lesley.Melanson@diabetes.ca | 506-608-6498
Moncton: Claude Vautour | Claude.Vautour@diabetes.ca | 506-227-7253
Miramichi: Chad Duplessie | Chad.Duplessie@diabetes.ca | 506-624-4391
Acadian Peninsula: Yves Bulger | Yves.Bulger@diabetes.ca | 506-397-4308
Other upcoming programs included with Live Well!/Bien Vivre! include public education sessions on diabetes prevention and management, a ?food skills for families? community kitchen program, and a telephone-based peer support program.
ssullivan@hepac-csssap.ca
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Source: http://hepac.ca/2013/01/live-wellbien-vivre-health-coaches-help-new-brunswickers-one-goal-at-a-time/
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