According to the CDC, 30.3 million Americans have diabetes and another 84 million have prediabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, costing $245 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity annually.  Kentucky is fifth in the leading states in type 2 diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 289,758 women in 2013—that’s about 1 in every 4 female deaths.

With an increased population of aging Homemakers, eight counties from the Northern Kentucky Area did a joint collaboration and conducted two training's on the "Healthy Living from the Inside Out". Lessons included Stroke Awareness, How to deal with Depression, Living with Diabetes, Oral Health, the Importance of Balance, Heart Health, Medication, Staying Happy and Healthy, and Staying Safe around the Home. Several Doctors from the area spoke and the local hospital offered Stroke screenings. Approximately 125 people attended the trainings. An immediate evaluation was conducted along with a follow up evaluation taken three months after the program was concluded.  

Of those surveyed:  99% said they learned the symptoms of a stroke and 87% said they had taken some type of action to help prevent a stroke.  

99% said they better understand depression. 

98% said they plan to incorporate measures to either help prevent or better manage their diabetes. After three months, 73% surveyed said they actually took steps to either better manage their diabetes or lessen their risk of having diabetes. 

99% said they plan on doing some type of fall prevention exercise and three months after the program 85%  said they did increase their physical activity to improve their balance.

99% said they plan on setting a health goal focusing on at least one of the topics from the Healthy Homemaker series. Three months after the program, 78% implemented some type of healthy life style change to improve their healthy. One homemaker reported she started walking and lost 10 lbs, another joined Weight Watchers and lost 32 pounds, and another increased her walking to 10,000 steps 7 days a week.