Program topic: Healthy aging for senior citizens
WACOG hosting workshop on Jan. 22, 24-25
Getting older can be a challenge. That’s why learning how to handle it can help a person live healthier and avoid serious problems along the way, according to the Western Arizona Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging.
To help older people “celebrate healthy aging, make healthy lifestyle choices and avoid a sedentary life and substance abuse,” for the first time ever in Yuma, the agency is offering a free program for individuals 60 and older called the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education, or WISE.
The program will be held over three days on Tuesday, Jan. 22, and Thursday and Friday, Jan. 24-25, at the Arizona Western College Downtown Center, 1351 S. Redondo Center Drive. Each day will cover two sessions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes free lunches. The curriculum is designed with six lessons that are one-and-a-half to two hours long.
The New Jersey Prevention Network, a public health agency, developed WISE in 1996 as part of an effort to prevent substance abuse, addiction and other chronic diseases. A grant recently allowed Carol Brown, program development manager for WACOG, to travel to New Jersey to attend training on the WISE program, which WACOG is using as a way to address the opioid crisis in Arizona.
Brown will be facilitating the workshop with lessons providing education on the “tough parts of getting older,” she said. Topics will include health and wellness, medication use, stress management, depression, and substance abuse.
Brown noted that evaluations have shown that WISE participants better understood the physical changes their bodies experience as they age. Those included changes in body metabolism, especially having to do with alcohol and medications, and recognition of early signs, and symptoms, of depression. In addition, health behaviors related to their lifestyle choices improved, their social support increased, and they felt a sense of belonging.
Due to the interactive nature of the program, attendees are encouraged, but not required, to register with a friend. “It’s even more fun,” Brown said.
In addition, she pointed out, the program is “really interactive. They’re not just sitting there. They work in teams, they’ll talk things through, they’ll put Post-it notes on a wall. Some parts are like game shows. They’ll get involved. There’s laughter. It won’t be boring.”
Attendees who complete five out of the six lessons will receive a small prize to thank them for their participation.
In between the WISE workshop, on Wednesday, Jan. 23, WACOG will hold a “virtual dementia tour” that will allow participants to see what it’s like to live with dementia and what the millions of people with dementia go through daily.
Those interested in participating in the workshops should call Brown at 928217-7115, or email her at carolb@wacog.com. Class sizes are limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to reserve a spot right away.