Cohousing-L Mailing List: Promoting Health & Self-Care in Cohousing

[Charles Maclean (advocate]

Promoting Health & Self-Care in Cohousing 

 

One of the strongest contributors to "optimal health" is social
connectedness and support . . .  and that's what cohousing offers in so many
ways. 

This is an invitation to begin to noodle and dialogue on what we can do as
individuals and as supportive cohousers to promote health with our
neighbors.

 

Starter Questions:

1.       What is your coho community doing now that promotes health,
prevention and personal responsibility for health?

2.      What stretch ideas do you have for taking health to the next level
in cohousing?

Examples

1.       At our coho community,  our meal club cooks plan menu's that are
healthier, include organic food as affordable and locally produced food or
food we grow.

       2A.  As a community, buy a studio when one comes up for sale and
offer it at a discounted rental fee to a health care provider (e.g. Retired
Nurse) in exchange for specified amounts of health screening, medication
monitoring, health education and prevention strategies.  Recipients would
pay a modest fee and outside funding secured.

 

       2B. Retrofit units with currently available electronic health
monitoring and aging in place support technologies.

 

Background:

 

Over the last year I've been meeting and talking with fellow cohousers,
patients and health policy opinion leaders around the country.  One result
is the call to action: "Mobilize Personal and Shared Rights and
Responsibility for Health and Self-Care".  This quick-read 3 page graphic
summary available by emailing me at charlesm [at] trilliumhollow.org  

 

Why Now? Because there will never be enough
doctors/dollars/diagnostics/drugs to treat the chronic diseases triggered by
our lifestyle and behavior choices. What might we do together to promote
health (not sickness care)? 

 

 

Charles Maclean

503.297.1490