Living Well
Area Agencies On Aging
Intended Audience: State of Maine employees and retirees. It is required that participants have a chronic condition or are caring for someone with a chronic condition.
Credit: 15 hrs
The Living Well for Better Health program described below has been offered over the past two years for those dealing with chronic health conditions, either their own or that of a family member. The Department is pleased to be able to support our employees in gaining and maintaining good health. As we support our employees, we also need to balance Department work interests, the needs of clients, and our desire to support you in understanding chronic disease and healthy life choices. To balance the needs of both parties, the following protocol will apply to attendance at this program:
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When sessions are scheduled to run from 12 – 2:30 p.m. This was done so that only 1 ½ hours of the program would be on work time (12 – 1 p.m. being a fairly standard lunch time).
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For the remaining 1 ½ hours the employee can flex this time with their supervisor’ approval spreading the 1 ½ hours over the remaining work week (coming in a bit earlier, staying a bit later) to make up the 40 hour work week.
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For those employees who have different lunch schedule, the 2 ½ hours of the program is to be flexed with the agreement of your supervisor.
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Programs that are running at times other than those above require either the flexing of their schedule or use of time as noted below. As always, with prior approval from their supervisor.
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If an employee is not able to flex their schedule, then vacation, compensatory time, or personal leave time may be taken, with prior approval of the supervisor.
Do you have aches and pains, feel tired or stressed? Are you dealing with other issues related to chronic health conditions such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, depression, or heart disease? Living Well for Better Health is geared for those affected by ongoing health conditions and offers new ways to better cope and manage health and wellness. Family members, friends, and caregivers can also participate and benefit from this program. Participants report they:
1 are exercising more;
2 are better able to cope with their conditions and manage symptoms; and,
3 have more energy.
In the words of one participant, “This workshop put me back in charge of my health and I feel great. I only wish I had done this sooner.”
Living Well for Better Health is a six-week workshop. Sessions are held once a week, for two and a half hours. This program is offered at no charge to state employees and retirees. The workshops are led by two trained leaders.
The Living Well program is presented to DHHS through the Office of Elder Services in partnership with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and MaineHealth’s Partnership for Healthy Aging.
Enrollment Cap: 15 participants, must have 10 to run program
