Helping Seniors Remain Healthy at Home: The Ridge Meadows Wellness and Urgent and Primary Care Centre’s Chronic Pain Self-Management Program
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows residents are living better, more independent lives thanks to the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program.
The program, led by an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals, educates adults with chronic pain on how pain works and equips them with strategies to increase their quality of life and activity levels. It is based out of Ridge Meadows Wellness and Urgent and Primary Care Centre, part of the Ridge Meadows Primary Care Network.
“Chronic pain can severely impact people’s ability to carry out their daily lives,” says registered nurse and co-lead of the pain program, Joel Bond. “This can be especially concerning for seniors. We know that being able to live well at home means fewer hospital interventions and a better quality of life. One goal of our pain program is to help those patients successfully self-manage their pain so that they can continue to live well at home.”
John, a local resident and participant in the program explains how debilitating pain can be.
“I have had chronic neck pain for decades and have always been able to manage but after a recent injury the pain became much worse. I was at a low point of barely being able to dress or bathe myself. I thought to myself, ‘I’m only 62. Is this the rest of my life?’ It was pretty grim not being able to look after myself.”
The exercises he learned during the program, he notes, changed everything.
“Once I was able to move and do exercise on a regular basis, I was able to get up and going again. It started with just a little bit of movement, and then progressed. Now I can pretty much do everything I could before the injury got severe. Plus, I learned skills that I can apply if it happens again. I feel like I have my life back.”
As a retiree on a limited income, John notes that being able to access the program free of charge was key.
Primary Care Networks are part of a new, robust and integrated system of care launching across BC to increase patient attachment and access to quality primary health care that effectively meets their needs.
