Workshop next week seeks to improve the well-being of area seniors

An informational workshop geared toward seniors and retirees is scheduled to be held in Marlinton next week. The program hopes to provide healthier lifestyle options for seniors.
Cookie Doss, has been on the Pocahontas County Parks and Recreation Board of Directors for three or four years now.

“The name of the program that we’re going to be talking about is the Silver Sneakers program,” explains Doss. “And we have people coming from Charleston that are going to put on the workshop. At this presentation, they’re going to be giving us information about the Silver Sneakers class, and they’re going to do demonstrations of things that can be done. Some of the things that they’re going to be going over are interaction with a customer service representative, education on their health coverage, and how to enroll in the Silver Sneakers Program.”

Doss said light refreshments will be served, and during the course of the workshop, attendees will take a tour of the wellness center. Doss said anyone planning on attending should dress comfortably.

“They’d like for everybody to come dressed so they can take part in a couple little demonstration things that they’re going to be doing,” Doss says. “Wear some comfortable clothes that you can move around in. If most of the retirees are like me, they dress like that most of the time anyways.”

She stressed the importance of older folks getting out and about.

“In fact I need to get up and get moving. This past winter has been really hard on me. I’ve been pretty sedentary. I’ve become somewhat of a couch potato,” admits Doss. “So, I really need it for myself too. I was interested in it, and I’d asked questions about it before, and Lauren Bennett, the director of Parks and Rec, went ahead and she made arrangements.”

The Silver Sneakers program is funded jointly by three different insurance companies in West Virginia, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Virginia, High Mark Health Insurance, and Humana.
“If you have Part A Medicare health plan, and I think almost everybody does, and most of us that are retired from school service personnel have the Humana program,” she says.

Doss talked about some of the advantages participants get out of the program.

“Some of the benefits from the program,” says Doss. “It will be to help increase your energy, improve your overall well-being, may help you lose some weight, they’ll have support if you need it, and it’ll help to improve your balance, and you may find a second family there to interact with. There’s also some things that you can do at home if you don’t feel comfortable coming and taking part with a group, and they’ll have information there on that, too.”

For more information on the program, visit its website at www.silversneakers.com

“A lot of information on there if they can’t make the meeting,” says Doss.

The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Wellness Center in Marlinton.

Story By

Angelo Jiordano

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