VA New England Healthcare System

Veterans' Healthy Living, Summer 2013

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TeleMOVE!

With TeleMOVE!, Veterans have the opportunity to participate in an 82-day weight management session from the comfort of their own homes. At the beginning of the session, Veterans receive a monitor, a book, and a scale. They must access their monitor daily and answer questions about their nutrition and physical activity. In return, Veterans will be directed to pertinent educational information according to their input.

Throughout the session, Joan Carter, RN, Care Coordinator TeleMOVE/Telehealth, maintains regular telephone contact with the participating Veterans to offer guidance, assistance, or educational resources. "Often, we discuss a portion of a food log that they submitted and we target a certain food that they are eating," she said. "I offer suggestions such as trying brown rice instead of eating white rice or measuring their salad dressing or the cream in their coffee. We work gradually with small alterations that really add up to a healthier lifestyle."

Veterans have the option to participate in more than one session if they choose. Continuation is based on weight loss, changes in dietary habits, and activity.

A similar weight management program is the TeleMOVE Group, led by dietitians and psychologists who hold meetings every week from medicalfacilities and coordinate with different CBOCs across the VISN. Veterans taking part in the group go to the closest CBOC, weigh in, receive information packets, and have interactive sessions that cover a variety of different topics.

TeleMental Health

With clinical video teleconferencing (CVT), William Greenhouse, PhD, Staff Psychologist, TeleMental Health/PTSD, Bedford VAMC, sees 4-8 Veterans at a CBOC and several in-home patients every working day. In addition, he has three group sessions a week by telehealth and is about to begin a fourth!

Dr. Greenhouse makes sure his sessions are interesting as well as engaging for the participants by providing many hands-on activities. Mentally challenging activities are introduced in sessions like Brain and Aging or Memory and Attention. Activities include working Sudoku puzzles, taking memory tests, or reading stories and remembering specific details. The sessions help to extend the life of the brain or improve attention or memory problems.

Another very hands-on group is called Create Your Own Adventure. This group empowers Veterans to take responsibility for the quality of their lives byunderstanding that everything they do is a choice. Dr. Greenhouse said, “You can create a positive space in your life. Even if it’s just two hours a week, it’s two more hours than the week before.” During the course of one session, for example, a man chose to swim with dolphins, and two others joined a photography group and are regularly interacting with each other outside the group sessions.

These are just a few examples of the many wonderful TeleMental Health programs available. For more information about programs in your area, talk with your provider and make the choice for a positive change.

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