Graduates from 'My Life My Health' ABCD Elder Services
By Catherine Moloney, Social Services and Senior Program Coordinator


Email me at [email protected] or call 617 265 5300 x 12


Everyone at the Cara Club this week was delighted to see Norah Lavelle, RN, By Your Side Nursing Care. She joined us for the afternoon and offered blood pressure screening to the group. We had a couple of new faces this week, Sr Lois and Sr Florence. Sr Lois has been added to the long line of great singers at the Cara Club after she entertained us with a South Boston song! We hope to see both of them again soon.

Albert Whitaker, Amerian Diabetes Association with David Gonzalez
Dorchester Coffee Morning

David Gonzalez from Harbor Health Services Inc. came to the coffee morning in Dorchester and brought Albert Whitaker from the American Diabetes Association. Albert gave a very interesting, informative and entertaining talk on diabetes which was thoroughly enjoyed by the large crowd at the IPC. We would like to extend our thanks to both David and Albert.

My Life My Health

By Myra Prawiroatmodjo, ABCD Elder Services, Boston

This past week, a group from the Irish Pastoral Centre Senior Program in Dorchester completed a course on chronic disease self-management entitled My Life My Health: Chronic Disease Self Management. The participants found this course especially rewarding as it pertained to the current health issues they deal with on a daily basis and provided weekly support they needed to succeed. The feedback from the group was extremely positive and included the following comments; "I enjoyed every minute of the class", "It was a pleasure to be part of this course." One participant said that the course helped change her mindset "about not being too hard on myself and setting my goals as reasonable."

This six week, two hour weekly program is for those who deal with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure. Weekly action plans are used to motivate participants to take important steps toward self-management and overall healthier lifestyles. Topics covered in this course include techniques to reduce stress, improve diet and fitness, better breathing, pain and fatigue management and better communication. For more information on this class and others ABCD Inc. Healthy Aging courses, please visit http://www.bostonabcd.org/elder-services-department.aspx or call Lizbeth Castrillion at 617-348-6784.

Since its founding in 1961, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Inc. has strived to be the voice and catalyst of empowerment and opportunity, providing hands-on assistance to those in need and responding promptly to emerging issues, especially on aging health issues within our Elder Services Department. ABCD’s Elder Service programs assist senior citizens in maintaining healthy, financially secure, and independent lifestyles. A wide array of programming is accessible to elders across Boston and several programs are offered in-home. Each of ABCD’s Neighborhood Service Centers and Area Planning and Action Council (APACs) also offers senior services targeted to meet the specific needs of local residents.

On a personal note, we here at ABCD Inc. are grateful to the Boston-Irish community to be able to provide programs such as these and help create healthy and manageable lifestyles for all the aging population.

The IPC would like to thank the ABCD Elder Services and in particular Myra Prawiroatmodjo, Course Facilitator whose warm and caring approach helped to make the course a great success.

Please feel free to call Catherine Moloney at 617 265 5300 x12 for more information on IPC Senior Citizen Outreach Program activities and services