I met with the foster grandparents for my first educational session yesterday. The foster grandparents group at CWC consists of 7 ladies ages 60-73. They provide companionship for individuals that live at the center 24-30 hours per week.
I discussed metabolic syndrome with providing a definition, risk factors, diagnostic tests and suggested healthy lifestyle changes. We also completed, as a group a self-assessment tool for developing type 2 diabetes including measuring their waist circumference.
This group of ladies was very attentive and asked several questions focusing on their own health. They talked about how they interpreted lab result, monitored their blood pressure and blood sugars on a regular basis and tried to incorporate exercise into their daily routine.
It appeared to me that this group of woman were not only providing a service for CWC residents but were a great source of social support group for each other. They had provided food for a luncheon immediately following my presentation. They invited me to join them for lunch and thanked me for all the great information I had shared. I told them it was my pleasure and would be providing education at their monthly meetings. They gave me additional ideas on topics they would like to know more about.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I spent with the foster grandparents and look forward to our next presentation. In epidemiology we are studying middle aged/older population with health care concerns. This is so timely. Next month I will discuss how arthritis affects joints with strategies to stay mobile. Thanks……Cindy
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