Today, Gov. Perdue announced that North Carolina has received $1,006,573 to help seniors with chronic diseases and diabetes better manage their health. The award is the 4th highest announced by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as part of a national effort to support chronic disease self-management programs for older adults.
The funding will expand and strengthen our current support for two chronic disease programs over the next two years – extending help to thousands of additional seniors.
During the past two years, the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services and the Division of Public Health in the Department of Health and Human Services have worked together to offer Stanford University’s Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), called Living Healthy in NC, to over 800 people with chronic health conditions in over half the counties in the state. This new funding opportunity will allow the two divisions, as well as Community Care of North Carolina, to increase the availability of both programs.
By the end of 2012, CDSMP will be available statewide, DSMP will be available in 10 Area Agency on Aging regions, and over 3,000 people will have benefited.
Approximately 70% of deaths and 75% of health care spending are a result of chronic diseases. The goal of this initiative is to decrease chronic disease rates among seniors and to help older adults stay out of hospitals and nursing homes by helping them become better managers of their own health.
For more information visit: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/livinghealthy/livinghealthy.htm.