Are you living with a chronic health condition?
Cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal conditions, mental and substance-use disorders, injuries and cancer are the five chronic health conditions which account for the greatest burden of disease in Australia.
Chronic conditions are becoming too common. Their effects are long lasting, and have a persistent and invasive impact on living a normal life. Whilst these conditions are manageable mainly through medication, the more complex behaviour and lifestyle changes a person needs to make are often difficult to maintain.
If you have a chronic health condition, UniSA’s Healthy Choices Program is built to support you in making healthier lifestyle choices every day.
How it works
Over a six week program you will learn more about the conditions that impact your health, so you can make better choices and sustain them. You will partner with health students to work out your individual health and wellbeing goals, and then together find the best supports and activities to achieve these goals.
Through the six week program you will:
- Gain knowledge of your condition.
- Follow a management plan, based on identified wellbeing goals, as agreed with the health team.
- Actively share in decision-making with the health team.
- Monitor and manage signs and symptoms of your condition/s.
- Manage the impact of the condition on your physical, emotional and social life.
- Adopt lifestyle habits which promote health.
- Have access to, and confidence in using, support services.
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Eligibility
Participants must be:
- 18+
- Diagnosed with a chronic health condition (diabetes I or II; respiratory, cardiovascular, kidney disease; chronic mental or musculoskeletal disorders; chronic pain; and cancer survivors)
For further information on eligibility, see the Contact section to speak to us directly.
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About the program
The Healthy Choices program aims to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for individuals with chronic conditions. We want to help the community to develop preventative skills and knowledge for a more agile and interdisciplinary health workforce, capable of operating in the changing health and wellbeing environment.
The design of the Healthy Choices program is informed by the evaluation of two pilot projects previously run by UniSA, and the project is funded by a grant from the Medical Research Futures Fund.
The direct impact of the program will be investigated in terms of improved health outcomes for Australians living with chronic and complex disease, particularly for people who are in disadvantaged and diverse communities. The model is scalable and if proved effective can be rolled out across other regions, to create a new model of care which is comprehensive, economically sustainable and truly patient-centred.
The program will begin in the Western suburbs of Adelaide, with the potential of being rolled out to other community areas in South Australia in the future.
Contact us
Bookings and enquiries
Anthea Worley
Research Coordinator, The University of South Australia
0421 694 945
HealthyChoices@unisa.edu.au
Our partners
The Healthy Choices program is a unique collaboration between UniSA, the City of Charles Sturt, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, The Hospital Research Foundation and the North West Adelaide Health Study.
