How to Be Your Own Health Coach

Perhaps you are undergoing cancer treatment and are too tired to cook for yourself. Or, you may be unable to drive and need a ride to a doctor's appointment, need groceries, or a prescription. If you become your own health care coach, you would not believe the support team lineup you can come up with. Family and friends are always willing to pitch in, but there are other avenues you can pursue. Your continued recovery is the winning goal and you are in charge of reaching that goal. You are the coach and the services are your winning team.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

How to Be Your Own Health Coach.

1. Call your local hospital as they can be a wealth of informational services for you. Most hospitals offer classes, health screenings and support groups, as well as other services for people with cancer or other chronic health conditions. These services are usually free.
2. Contact local chapters of national organizations such as the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association. They can provide you with useful information. You can look up these groups on the internet or in your phone book as well.
3. Place a call to your doctor's office if you have a specific question. If you need help with transportation to your appointments, for example, chances are they will have suggestions for you. They see persons taken to and from appointments throughout the day and they can make reliable recommendations to you.
4. For exercise, check your local Community Recreational Resource Center. They usually have class schedules to provide exercise and social programs within your community. The programs are usually free or at a low cost. This will allow you to make contacts with other persons in your neighborhood who may have the same problems that you face and together you can work through them.
5. Use your telephone book to find a Help Contact line where you will always find a listening ear to vent frustrations or share your fears. They are also a good source for recommending other places who offer free services which you can use, such as meals on wheels and who to contact for that service.
6. Keep a running list in your notebook of the agencies and the help they can offer you. You can continually add to this list and in your own way are making a personal telephone book of help services. It will always be there when you need to refer to it.

Tips & Warnings

• Always check with your health care professionals. They may know of organizations in your area that can provide support in other ways not mentioned in this article.
• Beware of scam artists. Always check for identification of anyone coming into your home and make sure they are the persons from the correct organization you contacted.