Each year, National Senior Health and Fitness Day is celebrated in over 1,200 locations
across the country, including senior centers, recreation centers, hospitals, health clubs,
and, of course, retirement communities. Now in its 32nd year, the day brings together an
estimated 100,000 older adults in an effort to highlight the importance of physical
activity, good nutrition, and regular checkups for living a long and vibrant life.
This year, Meadowood jumped into the spirit of the day with both feet, offering fantastic
information on health, fitness, and wellness, at a fun-filled educational health and fitness
fair in the Strasburg Auditorium.
The Fitness and Wellness Department hosted the event, bringing together many of our
talented and knowledgeable staff members to offer their expertise to the more than 70
residents who attended this Meadowell event.
Our Nurse Informaticist checked medication lists for possible interactions – and boy, did
she find them! She reminded us of the fact that, these days, receiving prescriptions from
different doctors and procuring medication from several different sources (think local
pharmacy, mail-order pharmacy, and specialty pharmacy) isn’t unusual. But it can be
dangerous if no one source has a full list of all the medications you take and no one is
able to check the side effects and interactions. So, it’s important to run the full list of
your meds and their dosages by your primary doctor or pharmacist to make sure you
are safe.
The health professionals manning the blood pressure station saw a steady stream of
folks who appreciated the quick BP check-up, answers to their health questions, and
helpful handouts.
The Fitness and Wellness Department’s assessment station was hugely popular as
well. People lined up in droves for a chance to step onto the shifting platform of the
BioDex Balance System and have their balance and stability tested, and to sign up for
Senior Fitness tests, personal training, and the long-running Fall Proof course.
If there’s one thing Meadowood residents know, it’s how important it is to maintain
strength and balance as you get older to ward off injuries and falls. To date, we’ve
graduated more than 170 students from the formal 12-week Fall Proof program, and
host dozens more at our twice-weekly walk-in balance and flexibility classes.
In the most delicious corner of the auditorium, our Registered Dietician manned the
nutrition table, offering advice and handouts, along with healthy snacks and smoothies
prepared fresh by Meadowood’s dining department. At the next table, our Chaplain
provided information on how to nourish one’s spirituality, and what support groups are
offered on campus.
On the Speaker’s Stage, a maintenance specialists who is also a volunteer firefighter
talked about what to do in an emergency; dementia specialists explained how a
person’s vision changes as dementia progresses; and a representative from the Health
and Wellness department discussed the “sleeve of life” each resident should have on
hand in their homes to give to emergency responders in case they experience a medical
incident.
Finally, at center stage every half hour, our Fitness specialists hosted 15-minute sample
exercise classes, or “exercise bites.” Resistance training, boxing, and cardio drumming
drew crowds of those who wanted to see what the fun was all about.
The event wrapped up just before lunchtime with a game of Simon Says, along with a
whole lot of encouragement to keep on making health and fitness a priority.