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Christian Fellowship Hypertension Gradua

Hypertension Management

 

High Blood pressure (Hypertension) is a serious chronic disease. It is estimated that 1 in 4 adult New Yorkers have high blood pressure and a significant number of these individuals are not aware that they have this condition. This disease is often overlooked because in many cased there are no symptoms. If left untreated this condition can result in stroke, heart attack, and early death.

In January 2019, APC Community Services was awarded a Community Grant by The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. This Eight week class is conducted once weekly for  2 hours a session and is designed to teach participants to manage their hypertension effectively

 

 Scope of Work Description: APC Community Services has established a linkage with Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center School of Pharmacy and Modern Remedies Pharmacy to support high blood pressure management. Delta Pharmacy is a first line provider and APC intend to work with the pharmacists to engage individuals who have been diagnose with high blood pressure to improve their high BP management through:

 

  • Home Self- monitoring

  • Attending blood pressure self -management classes

  • APC in collaboration with Delta will implement the Medication Therapy Management (MTM). This ensures that the pharmacists are available to answer medication and healthy lifestyle questions and address the barriers to medication adherence.

  • Collaborate with Delta Pharmacy to provide medication reminders and utilization of other tools such as apps, pill boxes, to promote medication management

  • APC will collaborate with Delta and other neighborhood pharmacies in the utilization of motivational interviewing and other techniques to encourage improvement in taking medications on time and the right dosage as prescribed by the physician (medication adherence).

  • APC will utilize 2 Lifestyle coaches to provide weekly classes for from May to June 2019 and do face to face visits.

 

Originally there was one site Sundance Adult Day Center but then the Christian Fellowship SDA church site was added. There was an information session conducted at each site. Flyers and posters were distributed widely at each site and in the community at large. Both sites showed significant interest.

 

 Weekly Hypertension Management Classes: There were weekly classes conducted at each site by two Lifestyle Coaches Dr Janice Emanuel McLean, and Cheryl Gerrard. Each class lasted for 120 minutes and many times due to the interest participants remained after class to ask further questions.

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In the weekly classes the following topics were covered:

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  • Pre-Test- to check the knowledge base of participants

Program overview- Signs and Symptoms/ Effects on the Body/ Role of Medication Management

 

  • Hypertension Management Care Plan/Controlling Hypertension the Natural Way Part1 (Daily Monitoring)

  • Demonstration of How to take Blood Pressure (Practice Sessions)

 

  • Controlling Hypertension Part 2/ Medication Management

 

  • The Role of Healthy Eating/ Exercise- Introducing DASH Eating Plan

 

  • Other Lifestyle changes

 

  • Strategies to Keep on track/ Post Test

 

Medication Management

 

Pharmacists from Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and Modern Remedies Pharmacy conducted sessions on Medication Management. There was much interest in these sessions, participants were in courage to bring their Medication and they asked specific questions.

 

Topics such as :

 

  • What is medication management?

  • Classes of Hypertension Medications

  • Barriers to Medication Management

  • Strategies to overcome barriers to medication barriers

  • Managing medication Side effects

  • How to take medication properly and safely

  • Lifestyle changes in medication management

  • Taking BP properly and tracking BP

 

Participants were intensely engaged, they asked questions on how to take their medications properly, how to manage side effects, what to do if medication seem not to be working, why some medications are given with supplements, effects of herbs on medication, how to get off of medications safely, why medications should be taken at the same time daily, what to do if one forgets to take medication on time and many similar questions.

 

In addition to medication management presentation, pharmacist were able to work with participants to organize their medication, talk about dosage and strategies for taking medications as prescribed by the doctor.

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