Abstract

The Louisiana Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA) implemented the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) called Your Life, Your Health! (YLYH) which provides patient education for self-management of chronic disease. YLYH was provided to more than 500 adults over age 60 through Louisiana’s aging network. More than 75% of the participants completed the program. The program reached 25 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes. Program fidelity was maintained. The infrastructure and many partnerships were created during implementation. The participant outcomes were encouraging, given that results reveal the benefits of chronic disease self-management. The system, program, and participant outcomes for YLYH were mostly achieved. Expected participant outcomes for improved self-rated health, increased energy levels, reduced health distress, increased endurance exercises, and fewer hospitalizations were all obtained. The expected increase in anaerobic (stretching or strengthening) exercises was not obtained. Health care utilization among participants decreased. This includes a reduction in emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This program should reduce costs for the delivery of health care services.