The Living Well Workshops started out west at Stanford University and found immediate success with people in the health care industry, as well as with the residents in the communities where the program was first offered. The focus of the workshops is on teaching techniques to deal with symptoms of chronic illnesses and these programs have spread rapidly around the country. The Atlanta Regional Commission has been a driving force in bringing the Living Well Workshops to the metro Atlanta area and members of the Piedmont Healthcare system and Fayette Senior Services took training courses to lead these workshops and teach local residents these helpful techniques. Kathy Sams and Susan Landais of Fayette Senior Services took the five day, intense training course. They will teach the first batch of workshops and hope to train people in the future to teach more workshops.

“The workshop is based on self management and is not disease specific,” said Sams. “Students will learn tools, such as relaxation techniques and exercises, to improve strength and flexibility and deal with stress, pain and fatigue.”

“These are things you can do as an individual to enhance and continue your life as you want to live it,” Landais added.

The workshops are open to anyone and they are recommended to people with chronic illnesses such as arthritis or diabetes or their caregivers.

“The techniques taught in these workshops are truly appropriate for anyone,” said Sams. “Living is a chronic condition and everybody would do well to learn these tools.”

The workshops are a six week commitment and each class is two and a half hours long. The fee for the entire six weeks is $10 though, so students truly get a lot of bang for their buck. The first workshop will be offered Thursday, Oct. 19 at Ashley Glen Assisted Living in Peachtree City from 3-5:30 p.m. but the workshop will move to other locations in the county during its six week run. Piedmont Fayette Hospital will also offer the workshop, as will the other facilities in the Piedmont system. Class size is limited to a maximum of 18 people. The class is described as more of an intimate, interactive discussion group and participants will not need to purchase any books or equipment for the course.

For more information on the workshop, call Fayette Senior Services at 770-461-0813.

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