Edmonton Journal

Senior Health Care Needs

- JENNIFER THOMPSON

Today, more and more seniors are concerned about their health care. As Canada’s population ages, so too will the need for health care options for our seniors. In fact, population projection­s according to the Canadian Medical Associatio­n indicate the number of Canadians 65 and older will continue to rise. By 2024 and seniors will account for 20.1 per cent of the population.

Health care needs are varied, and can range from support after surgery to on-going mobility needs or support for daily living. Many people see the benefits of having an active lifestyle to help maintain overall health.

People are more concerned about their health these days, says Steve Whittingto­n of Flaman Fitness. People are recognizin­g that being healthy is more about an overall lifestyle change versus a fad diet.

“Getting in shape isn’t the end all anymore, it’s about having a healthy lifestyle,” he says. “That’s the goal, a lifelong process. At Flaman Fitness, we want to connect with people on a healthy lifestyle level and that’s why we have a range of products. Fitness is for life.”

Flaman Fitness has long been known as the place to go for home fitness equipment. But they’ve recently expanded their product offering to now include health care products, such as mobility aids or bathroom safety products. Whittingto­n says this expansion was a natural extension of the service they already provide.

“Our goal is to provide health and fitness product solutions to Canadians – whether that’s a playground for children, fitness equipment for adults, or health care products for seniors or those who need them.

“If you’re a company that wants to provide health and fitness products to the public, you have to look at the makeup of your customers. A treadmill is not always appropriat­e for someone who wants to improve their health. That’s why it was important to us to expand our product offering to include things like rehabilita­tion equipment or mobility aids that can increase the quality of life and independen­ce for our customers.”

Flaman Fitness is part of the Flaman Group of Companies, founded in 1959 as a local agricultur­al retailer in southern Saskatchew­an. Flaman has grown steadily since those humble beginnings and currently operates retail stores across Alberta, Saskatchew­an, British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario.

Flaman Fitness has been selling in-home fitness equipment since the early 1990s, when company founder Frank Flaman recognized the growing market for health and fitness products. Since then they’ve expanded to be Canada’s largest independen­t fitness equipment retailer. They carry health care products such as wheelchair­s, walkers, post-surgery items, bedroom and bathroom safety items, kitchen aids, rehab products and much more.

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