HAVE A CUP OF JOE WITH JOE – Get “Smart” In 2024 & Keep Fit With VON Windsor Essex
By the time this column reaches you, there is a good chance you have already kicked to the curb your health and exercise resolutions for 2024 . . . but do not throw in the towel just yet!
Seize the opportunity a new year presents to invest in your own health and well-being.
This is especially true for aging adults and our senior population.
To this end, there are many community-based organizations to assist. However, in my opinion, none is better than the Victorian Order of Nurses Canada — more familiar to us as VON.
VON began in 1897 in Canada by working within communities to create opportunities for people to work together to meet their own needs and those of their friends and neighbours. They were established to ensure that care was available, affordable, and accessible to everyone in Canada — no matter where they live.
The complete listing on their website of all the services they provide is like reading the famous 21-page menu of 250 food items of The Cheesecake Factory (with locations throughout the world). It is extensive!
Generations of families in our region have benefitted from VON and I have first-hand experience.
My mother passed away in March 2002 at the age of 84. She greatly benefitted from the many free services (meals on wheels, nurse visitation, etc.) from VON, which allowed her to stay in her home four to five years longer than she would have been able to.
Eventually, her declining health finally required her to move into the former Villa Maria Home For the Aged, but I will always be grateful for the professional and caring attention VON provided my mother.
My mother was not unique in wanting her independence and the ability to stay in her own home as long as she could.
A 2020 National Institute on Aging (NIageing.ca/reports) and TELUS Health Survey, found that 91% of Canadians of all ages, and almost 100% of Canadians 65 years of age and older, report they plan on supporting themselves to live safely and independently in their own home as long as possible.
During the late 1990s, a partnership developed with the Canadian Centre for Activity And Aging (University of Western Ontario; UWO.ca/ccaa/index.html) and VON Middlesex-Elgin (London). Its aim was to increase the number of wellness programs for older adults and seniors in home or group exercise. By 2013, the VON received funding to provide group exercise classes in 75 rest and retirement homes across our area.
VON Windsor Essex is excited about their SMART program (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together). It is a research and evidence-informed exercise and fall prevention program, which is offered, free of charge, at various locations throughout this region. It is also offered virtually (three times a week) or in the comfort of one’s home.
These SMART exercise classes are led by certified fitness instructors and volunteers who facilitate a 30 to 60 minute exercise class for older adults over the age of 55.
Khrista Boon, Program Supervisor, SMART Exercise and Fall Prevention Program, Windsor Essex VON describes the goals of the SMART program . . .
- Improve or maintain an individual’s functional fitness to better enable them to perform daily activities necessary to maintain independence.
- Improve overall mobility, coordination and balance to prevent falls.
- Provide an opportunity for regular physical activity which can help participants manage weight, improve heart and lung function, and help prevent or manage chronic disease symptoms.
- Provide an environment where older adults can connect socially and meet with new people in the community.
- Encourage the development of movement intelligence to enable participants to engage in daily quality movement and to navigate the day safely and with confidence. Personal balance and fall prevention are keys to independent living.
There are currently 125 classes a week in Windsor Essex held in donated church halls, gyms, Windsor Public Library spaces, senior apartment buildings, senior long-term living, and retirement homes.
Participants range in age from 55 to 103 years of age, and classes vary in levels of intensity and activities.
Mike Cardinal is the Owner and Operator of Cardinal Place (a Windsor retirement home) and the 2023 Powerhouse Professional Biz X Award winner.
What does Cardinal think of the VON SMART program?
In his words: “Cardinal Place has an exercise activity every morning.
The VON SMART program is the best and most popular one we offer. Scott (last name withheld) from VON brings a joy, love, and enthusiasm that is contagious. The routines are entertaining and engaging in multiple, dynamic ways. It is popular with our residents because they experience the benefits and enjoy themselves each time.”
Melissa Landry, Coordinator, Fund Development for VON Windsor Essex informs us that individuals “can support VON and SMART programming in the region by donating instantly at: VON.ca (under the tab, “Donate to VON”) and designating VON Windsor Essex, or by mailing or dropping off a donation to the VON Windsor Essex location at 4520 Rhodes Drive, Suite 400 in Windsor.” (Note: VON is a registered Canadian charity and tax receipts are available).
Aging is still living and we need to shift the narrative from a negative to a positive one.
You can help change this narrative for yourself and for your loved ones by donating to VON Canada (please designate Windsor Essex). For more information contact Landry by emailing: [email protected].
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The VON SMART Program is offered across the Erie St. Clair district (Windsor Essex, Chatham Kent and Sarnia Lambton). For more information on programming in your community, contact Khrista Boon via her email: [email protected].