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Home » Exercise Programs » Programs keeping seniors busy, active, healthy – Times Record

By Scott Smith Times Recordssmith@swtimes.com

Retirement. It's now a never-a-dull-moment game for many individuals.

A variety of programs, activities and services are helping ensure senior citizens can stay active, happy and in-the-know on many subjects, said Deanna Rice, executive director for the Fort Smith Senior Activity Center and its eight partner facilities in Sebastian County. These individuals have "no time" for sitting around and feeling lonely because they're engaging in activities with fellow seniors and creating new friendships, she said.

"The activities mostly are the same at all the locations, because everyone enjoys doing the same activities," Rice said. "Senior citizens are here at eight of our locations during our hours, which are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; the exception is our 2700 Cavanaugh Roadlocation, which is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m."

Among the Fort Smith Senior Activity Center's activities to keep the minds and muscles of seniors in motion are Bingo games, bean-bag baseball tournaments, exercise programs, dances, road trips and more, she said. Dances that involve performances by bands often take place from 7-9 p.m. on Fridays, Rice said.

"We can range from 80 to 100 people," she said. "They really do dance."

Pool tables serve as a central location for socializing, Rice said.

"If you have a pool table, you have a whole room full of men," she said with a laugh. "And card games also are huge games like bridge and there's dominoes,too."

The centers also serve a monthly average of 29,000 meals to individuals who are 60 or older, both at the centers and via a home-delivery service, Rice said. These meals are "cooked daily and made from scratch," with meatloaf,mashed potatoes, soup, pinto beans, cabbage and turnip greens often comprising the menu, she said.

"We also take trips, with some of the biggest trips taking place during the holidays," Rice said. "They love to drive up to Fayetteville and do what we call the fall foliage drive, so they can see the season's changing colors."

Shorter trips are taken in vans, while larger trips for seniors utilize a charter bus, she said.

"If we go to Branson for three days and two nights, there's an actual cost, so we'll say that this trip package will include the shows and the dinners," Rice said. "We make it affordable for seniors, and they like it because they are with their peers, and they don't have to worry about driving.

"That's a big thing driving," she added. "Seniors don't like to drive after dark, so they like our trips. All they have to do is load the bus, and someone else does the work for them."

The centers also offer a chronic disease management program, a six-week program that teaches individuals with diabetes and/or chronic pain how to exercise and improve their quality of life, saidShannon Montez, an executive administrative assistant for the Area Agency on Aging of Western Arkansas.

"We have Tai Chi classes, and we also provide free blood pressure clinics throughout the year," said Montez, whose organization oversees the senior centers. "We do this at least once a month, and we usually have nurses and other people come in and speak on nutrition, mental health and subjects such as phone scams.

"People who aren't who they say they are will be calling seniors to get information from them," she added. "This program tells seniors what to look out for when it comes to this."

More than 900 area seniors spend their time as part of Westark's Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, which recruits individuals who are 55 and older to help in more than 60 local organizations, said Susan Reehl, executive program director for Westark RSVP.

"One of our arms to our outreach program is our free tax-assistance program, where we have volunteers trained as tax preparers," she said. "We did nearly 5,000 free tax returns last year, and those are done for people 60 and older, regardless of income, and (other people)."

The tax-assistance program is offered from 9-11 a.m. Wednesdays at Westark RSVP, 401 N. 13th St., Reehl said.

"We do walk-ins for this, and we're helping people who are doing prior year returns and those who have filed for extensions," she said.

Westark RSVP also offers a Medicare-assistance program, which includes a Medicare orientation session that explains the Medicare rules, time frame and choices, Reehl said.

"It's incredible the amount of people turning 65 and becoming eligible for Medicare in this community," she said. "I don't remember the exact number, but it's a huge number of people. It's definitely more people than we could talk to in one day.

"We help people during Medicare open enrollment; those plans are sold annually, with open enrollment being from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7," Rice added. "In Arkansas, there are 22 Medicare drug plans and 13 (other) plans, so if you are 85 years old and are on multiple medications, it's a real struggle to be able to pick those out. We can help people when they are looking for and choosing the most reasonable policy for them."

Now available at http://www.couponchief.com, the Retail Savings Guide for Baby Boomers provides details on numerous discounts and special offers for seniors. These discounts include mobile homeowner's insurance, RV insurance, automobile insurance, vision and hearing care, life insurance, hotel discounts, rental car discounts and cruise discounts, as well as discounts for food, wireless carriers, vehicles and various restaurants.

"For us, our primary focus is to combat isolation for seniors," Rice said. "If you get them out of their home, they're here. They're not isolated anymore, so their health is better, and they start becoming more involved.

"Then the seniors feel productive," she added. "A lot of them have families who are working, or they have lost their significant other. They volunteer, so for them, they aren't lonely. They are coming to a job every day."

Seniors who receive help from Westark RSVP also avoid feelings of loneliness, Reehl said.

"For one thing, it's their peers who are helping them," she said. "Our senior volunteers are so approachable. They are the same ages and have the same experiences as the seniors they are helping.

"Of course, no one wants to feel stupid when they make a choice that can have very expensive results," Reehl added. "For the people we help, it's a relief."

Montez agreed.

"The seniors love the meals, and they love the friendships," she said. "The programs are very good for socializing. You don't have to stay at home if you had a spouse pass away. You can go out and be with other people. You can make friends and do something new again, and it's great because your age doesn't matter."

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Programs keeping seniors busy, active, healthy - Times Record

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Home » Exercise Programs » Programs keeping seniors busy, active, healthy – Times Record