Class will focus on aging well
Published 11:32 am Sunday, April 17, 2016
The Enumclaw and Buckley senior centers are offering a free, innovative, 10-week health and wellness program to residents 55 and older.
The Aging Mastery Program was developed by the National Council on Aging and has been successful at helping older adults build their own playbook for aging well. The Enumclaw and Buckley senior centers are one of a number of organizations in Washington selected to offer the AMP.
“With life expectancy hitting a record high the timing of this series couldn’t be better,” said Brenda Sexton, who is helping the two centers organize the series. “The series is designed to encourage Baby Boomers, and those on the fringe, to think about how they can make the most of those extra years.”
AMP is designed to be a fun, person-centered education program that empowers participants to embrace the gift of longevity by spending more time each day doing things that are good for themselves and for others. The program encourages mastery – developing sustainable behaviors across many dimensions that can lead to improved health, stronger economic security, enhanced wellbeing and increased societal participation.
The goal of the program is to empower older adults to make and maintain small but impactful changes. Topics, with guest speakers in each area, will include: Navigating Longer Lives: The Basics of Aging Mastery; Exercise and You; Sleep; Healthy Eating and Hydration; Aging Gracefully (Fall Prevention); Medication Management; Financial Fitness; Advance Planning; Healthy Relationships; and Community Engagement. Each class includes basic educational materials, a checklist of potential next steps, and a system for tracking behaviors.
The Enumclaw and Buckley senior centers will offer two 10-week programs in 2016. The first is set for 6 p.m. Tuesdays at Green River Community College’s Enumclaw Campus. The 90-minute classes begin April 26 and run through June 28. The second series will take place on Thursday evenings in September at the Buckley Fire Station.
The NCOA values this program at $99, but thanks to grant funding, the senior centers are able to offer this program free.
Those interested in registering for the first session may call Jobyna Nickum at the Enumclaw Senior Center, 360-825-4741, or email jnickum@ci.enumclaw.wa.us, or contact Sexton at 253-315-2338 or Brenda.Sexton@comcast.net.
