Abstract :

COATIVAR capitalizes on PRISMA where patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) and their families had access to a 12-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Although unquestionable benefits were obtained, they were then left with no community-response, adapted to their condition, to maintain such benefits. COATIVAR will be a community-response to maintain patients with CRD and their families integrated and active in the region of Estarreja. People with CRD are less active than their healthy peers and this inactivity is related to worse prognosis. Thus, encouraging patients to adopt a more active lifestyle is a major but highly challenging goal. Interventions adapted to the local context, using existing social support and community structures are the most successful. Estarreja has already in place a complex of sports and leisure activities. COATIVAR will work with the city council of Estarreja to adapt the existing resources to integrate and maintain these patients and families safely active.