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These resources are designed to accompany Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, 5th Edition and Living a Healthy with Chronic Pain, 2nd Edition

This list includes suggested further readings, useful websites, and other helpful resources. It's compiled by the authors of the book and maintained by the publisher.

photo of cover

Getting Started - Index

lemon To get started, select a topic below. Return to the topics list at any time by clicking Resources on the left-hand menu. 

 

Other things you might need

Visit the Self-Management Resource Centre | Millions of adults live with one or more chronic health conditions. Our programs help people and their caregivers manage their symptoms, improve their quality of life, and reduce healthcare costs.

 

Looking for copies of My Action Plan, charts, worksheets, or Self Tests that appear in the books? You can download copies from our website. 

 

Report a broken link  | If you would like to report a broken link or make a suggestion, please contact us

Depression

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Print

Burns, D. D. (1999). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York, NY: Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins.

 

Lewinsohn, P. M. (1992). Control your depression. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Exercise & Physical Activity

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Programs

Silver Sneakers | http://www.silversneakers.com 

- This program allows you to take online classes from home or to visit the gym. Available at no cost for adults 65+ through select Medicare plans.

 

Physical activity guidelines

Australia | https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians

Canada | https://csepguidelines.ca  

United States | https://health.gov/paguidelines/

 

Websites

Enhance Fitness | https://projectenhance.org/enhancefitness/

Low-cost, evidence-based group exercise and falls prevention program to help older adults at all levels of fitness become more active, energized, and empowered to sustain independent lives. 

 

Evidence-based Leadership Council | http://www.eblcprograms.org

Proven evidence-based programs (EBPs) in the following categories: chronic disease and medication management, depression, falls management and physical activity. 

 

Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging | HealthInAging.org

Exercise and Physical Activity | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)

Go4Life is an exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, designed to help older adults fit exercise and physical activity into their daily life.

 

National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability | https://www.nchpad.org/

NCHPAD is the premier resource for information on physical activity, health promotion, and disability, serving persons with physical, sensory and cognitive disability across the lifespan. NCHPAD’s website features a variety of resources and services which can benefit all ages and populations and can be found online.

 

National Institute on Aging: Exercise and Physical Activity | https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-physical-activity 

 

WebMD: The 7 Minute Workout | https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/the-7-minute-workout-slideshow 

 

Videos

Canadian Lung Association: Exercise and COPD | https://youtu.be/DFemC5giG1Y 

 

Flint Rehabilitation Devices, LLC: Core Exercises for Stroke Patients to Improve Balance and Walking | https://youtu.be/dGBqTLtdVuA 

 

Kaiser Permanente Thrive: Seated Upper Body Exercise | https://youtu.be/R6Nr-VaFcqM 

 

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America: Introduction to Multiple Sclerosis Aquatic Fitness | https://youtu.be/PmDArJJjG4c 

 

Sit and Be Fit | https://www.sitandbefit.org/

Recommended video workouts for those with various conditions including: osteoporosis, diabetes, COPD, neuropathy, arthritis, parkinsons and other conditions. This program offers the classes through public television, streaming, YouTube, and DVDs.

 

Silver Sneakers: 7-Minute Yoga Workout for Older Adults | https://youtu.be/NDLad2vOHkU

 

Audiobooks

Exercises for Chronic Conditions | https://www.bullpub.com/exercises-for-chronic-conditions.html

Audio CD self-management resource 

 

Moving Easy Program | https://www.bullpub.com/catalog-moving-easy.html

Audio CD that guides you through gentle exercise sessions. The recording is also available as a downloadable MP3. 

 

Videos

DocMikeEvans: 23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?  | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo 

 

Dr. Michelle Segar: No Sweat: Lasting Motivation to Exercise | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoNFjf9ltMo 

 

Print

Segar, Michelle: No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness, 2015. Also online resources: https://michellesegar.com/book/

 

Healthy Eating

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Food Guides

USDA Food Guidance System: My Plate | https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ 

 

Websites

American Cancer Society | https://www.cancer.org/

Nutrition for People With Cancer, learn about nutrition needs during treatment and how to manage treatment side effects that could affect how well you eat. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/6711.00.pdf


The American Heart Association
|
https://www.heart.org 

Offers many resources to help you with healthy living and eating. Also many recipes: https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes

 

Eat Right | https://www.eatright.org

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals founded in Cleveland, Ohio. Today, the Academy represents more than 100,000 credentialed practitioners and is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.

 

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: DASH Eating Plan | https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan 

 

Nutrition.gov | https://www.nutrition.gov/

Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, the website features information about basic nutrition, diets for various health conditions, dietary supplements, food assistance programs and more.

 

 

Videos

Voice of America News: Grocery Store Tours Emphasizing Healthy Choices | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUdLl1RDhEA 

A YouTube video of a brief tour that provides tips for healthy good choices. 

 

Applications

My Fitness Pal  | https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

A free, easy to use food and activity tracker that you can use on your computer or smartphone. 

Hearing Loss

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Websites

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders | https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/assistive-devices-people-hearing-voice-speech-or-language-disorders

- This article by the National Institute on Deafness and other communication disorders describes assistive Devices for People with Hearing, Voice, Speech, or Language Disorders.

 

MAYO Clinic Hearing aids: How to choose the right one | https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/in-depth/hearing-aids/art-20044116

 

Federal Trade Commission: A place to search for general consumer advice | https://consumer.ftc.gov/

 

Healthline: Hearing and Speech Impairment Resources | https://www.healthline.com/health/hearing-or-speech-impairment-resources 

 

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Find resources to help you understand communication and communication disorders | https://www.asha.org/

 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): Assistive Devices for People with Hearing or Speech Disorders | https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/assistive-devices-people-hearing-voice-speech-or-language-disorders

 

European Federation of Hard of Hearing People | https://efhoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/EFHOH-Survey-European-Standard-EN-15927-2010-Services-offered-by-hearing-aid-professionals.pdf  

- This link discusses the trial period and follow up on hearing aids in Europe.

Heart Disease / Congestive Heart Failure

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Websites

American Heart Association | https://www.heart.org

Nonprofit organization offering healthy living tips and information about different heart related health topics, caregiver support and community forums. 

 

American Stroke Association | https://www.strokeassociation.org/en 

A division of the American Heart Association providing information about stroke and life after stroke, along with financial resources, support networks and more. 

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Kaiser Permanente: Your guide to heart health | https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health/care/!ut/p/a0/DcdBCsAgDATAF8nee-srWnNbJKhgokjo--tlYCB4Ic6vV0afznGei3rovppyRzqOaHggkLVZjcg-U2FpimV2_9KWcfA!/ 

 

Mayo Clinic

 

Medline Plus

 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute | https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute plans, conducts, and supports research, clinical trials, and observational studies related to the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases, and sleep disorders. 

 

Office on Women’s Health: Heart Disease and women https://www.womenshealth.gov/heart-disease-and-stroke/heart-disease/heart-disease-and-women 

 

WebMD

 

WomenHeart | http://www.womenheart.org/

The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Website offers information about preventing, diagnosing and treating heart disease, help to find a support network and blog. 

 

Print

Cohen, Barry. Coronary Heart Disease: From Diagnosis to Treatment 2019.

Heller, Maria. The DASH Diet Action Plan: Proven to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol without Medication. 2014.

Ornish, Dean and Anne Ornish. Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases. Ballantine, 2019.

Rippe, James M. Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease for Dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2015.

Taylor, Jill Bolte. My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey. New York: Viking, 2009.



Diabetes

lemon Return to the topics list at any time by clicking Resources on the left-hand menu. 

 

Websites

American Diabetes Association | http://diabetes.org/

This site contains a variety of information about diabetes from nutrition to research and advocacy issues like insulin affordability. Website also features: news, risk test, statistics, recipes, and is available in Spanish.

 

Diabetes Food Hub | https://www.diabetesfoodhub.org/

Website by the American Diabetes Association allows you to browse recipes with pictures, get nutritional information and create meal plans and grocery lists. 

 

Diabetes Sisters | https://diabetessisters.org

A site for women living with diabetes that offers expert advice as well as a forum for women with diabetes to communicate with each other.

 

John Hopkins Patient Guide to Diabetes | http://hopkinsdiabetesinfo.org/

Includes a variety of information and videos about diabetes, research studies, patient stories and a nutrition blog.

 

National Diabetes Education Program | https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/ndep/index.html

Website features: information for minorities, Spanish-language and Asian-American information, tips on how to control and prevent diabetes, resources for children and adolescents. NDEP materials are provided through a joint effort of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

 

Prediabetes | https://doihaveprediabetes.org/

A website by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, and the Ad Council dedicated to reducing diabetes risk with a self-screening tool for prediabetes and easy to read tips for increasing exercise, healthy eating, and managing weight to prevent diabetes.

Cancer

lemon Return to the topics list at any time by clicking Resources on the left-hand menu. 

 

Websites

 

American Cancer Society | https://www.cancer.org/

Website features: news, information on types of cancer, patient services, treatment options, sections on children with cancer and living with cancer, and cancer statistics.

 

Cancer.Net | https://www.cancer.net/

The official website for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) with insights, tips, and inspirational posts on cancer, written by cancer physicians.

 

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | https://www.lls.org/

 

Asthma, Lung Disease & Emphysema

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Websites

Allergy & Asthma Network | https://www.allergyasthmanetwork.org/

The Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, a patient advocacy organization, was started by a mother with children who have asthma. Section for patients includes practical easy-to-understand and medically accurate ways to prevent and control symptoms.

 

American Lung Association | https://www.lung.org/

Also available in Spanish, The American Lung Association website provides information on asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses, ways to stop smoking as well as in-depth information on ongoing clinical trials. 

- COPD https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/

 

American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology | https://www.aaaai.org/

The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is one of the nation's largest professional medical specialty organizations. Their website, though mainly for industry, does include a Find an Allergist / Immunologist service. 

 

American Thoracic Society | https://www.thoracic.org

International medical association dedicated to advancing clinical and scientific understanding of pulmonary diseases, critical illnesses and sleep-related breathing disorders.

 

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America | https://www.aafa.org/

A nonprofit organization founded in 1953, works to develop and implement public policies to improve the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies. This website provides information about triggers, symptoms and treatments as well as a blog and community forum.

 

Asthma Canada | https://asthma.ca/

Asthma Canada provides research, advocacy, education and support. Search Asthma under Get Help for asthma basics, diagnosis, triggers, medication, management and information for parents and caregivers. 

 

Breathe California

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Chest Foundation | https://foundation.chestnet.org/

Champions lung health by supporting clinical research, community service, and patient education.

 

COPD Foundation | https://www.copdfoundation.org/

A nonprofit organization providing educational materials including a video series for patients with chronic lung disease

 

Kaiser Permanente: Sleep Apnea | https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/health-encyclopedia/he.sleep-apnea.hw49127

 

MayoClinic: Emphysema | https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/emphysema/symptoms-causes/syc-20355555 

 

MedicineNet: Emphysema | https://www.medicinenet.com/emphysema_lung_condition/article.htm 

 

MedlinePlus

 

National Emphysema Foundation | http://www.emphysemafoundation.org/

This site is to enable those with emphysema to better cope with and understand the nature of their disease through new research, current treatment initiatives, and innovative ways of coping. 

 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute | https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute plans, conducts, and supports research, clinical trials, and observational studies related to the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases, and sleep disorders. 

 

The Lung Association | https://lung.ca/

The Lung Association is the leading organization in Canada working to promote lung health and prevent and manage lung disease. The website includes many helpful resources including videos on how to use different types of inhalers. 

 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Asthma | NHLBI, NIH | https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/asthma

 

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Asthma | http://www.epa.gov/asthma/

 

WebMD: COPD Health Center | https://www.webmd.com/g00/lung/copd/default.htm?i10c.ua=4&i10c.encReferrer= 



Videos

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Know How To Use Your Asthma Inhaler

https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/inhaler_video/default.htm

 

Mayo Clinic: Dr. Benzo Mindful Breathing Lab | https://www.mayo.edu/research/labs/mindful-breathing/videos 

 

Print 

Fielding, D. L. (2016). The COPD Solution: A Proven 10-week Program for Living and Breathing Better with Chronic Lung Disease (1st ed.). Philadelphia: Da Capo Lifelong Books.

Mahler, Donald A. Breathe Easy: Relieving the Symptoms of Chronic Lung Disease 1st Edition. University Press of New England, 2017

Martin, Jane M (2012). Live Your Life With COPD- 52 Weeks of Health, Happiness and Hope. Infinity Publishing. 

Olle, D. A. (2018). Asthma. Dulles, VA: Mercury Learning and Information.

Alzheimer’s

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Websites

 

Alzheimer’s Association | https://www.alz.org

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research.