“I'm Taking Charge of My Arthritis”: Designing a Targeted Self-Management Program for Frail Seniors

Abstract

Several arthritis self-management programs have been developed for community dwelling people. However, many of those are not suited for frail older seniors who have more comorbidity, are more likely to be isolated or present depression symptoms, and have fewer resources. To meet their needs and for the health professionals who provide services to them, this article discusses the development and follow-up of I'm Taking Charge of My Arthritis! a program for frail older adults who are housebound because of their arthritis. This program targeted management of symptoms like pain, as well as the impact of the disease on activities. The purpose of this paper is: (a) to discuss the development of the self-management program and (b) to report on the program's process analysis. This paper provides practitioners who want to develop a similar program with a rigorous program development approach.