Programs for Active Living and Support (PALS)

Contact Us PALS: 619-229-7362

Keep active. Be fit. Stay engaged.

Improve your physical, cognitive and emotional health by joining post-treatment support groups, classes and clubs offered through our Programs for Active Living and Support (PALS) at our East Campus Medical Center.

PALS fosters healthy aging and successful rehabilitation following a stroke or physical disability. Classes and groups are open to UC San Diego Health patients and the general public.

If you are interested in participating or enrolling a loved one, call us at 619-229-7216, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Free Senior Balance & Fitness Classes

Join us for fun, friendly group exercise classes led by licensed therapists. Classes are open to older adults (55+) with physical disabilities. A medical consent form, completed by a health care provider, is required to participate. RSVP is also needed.

Adult Balance Class (ABC) This weekly class emphasizes the development of better balance and mobility. It includes gentle chair exercises, stretching and breathing techniques as well as standing balance exercises.
Senior Fitness Class This weekly class is set to music and includes gentle seated exercises to improve strength, range of motion and activities of daily living. Elastic bands and hand weights are offered for resistance. The class can be modified for standing movements depending on your fitness.

Art for All Mind, body, soul

This hands-on introduction to various artistic mediums and techniques encourages personal creative expression. Modifications or adaptive techniques are available to enhance your enjoyment. Local artisans teach the free 1.5-hour class. Art supplies are also provided at no cost.

Classes & Groups for Neurological Conditions

Unless you’ve lived it, it's hard to understand the challenges faced by having experienced a brain injury such as a stroke, traumatic or anoxic brain injury or brain tumor. Learn, share, and receive support and guidance from others on the same journey. The recovery process can be difficult for both patients and their caregivers. These programs help patients and caregivers through the recovery process.

Aphasia Group Practice your conversational and communication skills in a comfortable, supportive environment with others with aphasia. The licensed therapist who leads the group will also share resources for continued speech and language skills building at home.

Comebackers Neuro Club This monthly club offers education, recreation and a support network to people who have experienced a brain injury and their care partners. Call today to sign up for your complimentary newsletter, the Savvy Survivor, to keep informed about upcoming events. Event fees may apply.

PALS Book Club This free book club is for brain injury survivors and their care partners. The book club offers support to those who enjoy reading or previously enjoyed reading in a group setting. Modifications or adaptations due to aphasia or a cognitive communication disorder will be provided. A licensed therapist leads the quarterly club. RSVP required.

PALS Support Groups These are free support groups for brain injury survivors and their care partners. Survivors and caregivers meet in their separate groups and then come together at the end to socialize. Licensed therapists lead the bimonthly groups. RSVP required.

Stroke Peer Visitor Program This program pairs an individual who has recently experienced a stroke with a stroke survivor or caregiver who has successfully made the transition back to a functional lifestyle. The peer visitor's role is to help new survivors and their loved ones adjust to life after a stroke while sharing what to expect during recovery. Their support can make a meaningful difference in the journey to recovery.

SoCal Rehab Golf Program

Join the SoCal Rehab Golf Program and learn a love for golf, improve your physical fitness, form great friendships and have fun! The program promotes golf as a therapeutic activity for seniors and individuals with physical disabilities. A medical consent form, completed by a health care provider, is required to participate. Participants are responsible for clinic and greens fees.

Back Nine Golf Clinic The Back Nine is the starting point for all participants. It is open to people of all abilities who may be experiencing decreased balance and flexibility, loss of core strength, limited range of motion, or impaired fine and gross motor skills. The program includes instruction at golf clinics and opportunities to play on different local courses. Clinics are led by a PGA teaching professional and certified therapeutic recreation specialist with experience working with older athletes and individuals with physical challenges.
SoCal Rehab Golf Club Players who have "graduated" from the Back Nine are encouraged to join the SoCal Rehab Golf Club. The club is for golfers whose game may be limited due to an illness or physical impairment but who still enjoy the camaraderie and challenge of being out on the course. All skill levels are invited.
Annual SoCal Rehab Golf Classic Join us for a fun 9-hole scramble where three or more golfers form a team comprised of at least one player with a physical challenge. The tournament emphasizes fun without the pressure of keeping individual scores.