Active Aging

14 ACTIVE AGING WEEK SEPTEMBER 23-29, 2018 The institute's Active Aging Ambassadors will be in attendance to inspire and encourage participants with their personal stories and share a message of the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle. The ambassadors program, one part of Active Aging Day, has been so successful it recently received an award from the International Council of Active Aging in recognition of its success. "People really see them as role models and that a healthy, active lifestyle is attainable. They think this is something that can be achieved in my life if I want to do it. They show people it's really achievable," says Karin Whalen, director of community services at the Wellness Institute. This year's Active Aging Day open house will take place Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The annual event has been running for more than a decade and regularly attracts hundreds of visitors each year as part of the Wellness Institute's mandate to promote healthy aging. Whalen says promoting the benefits of active aging is becoming increasingly important as Canada's population grows older. According to Statistics Canada, the percentage of seniors who make up the country's population is expected to increase from a little under 15 per cent to more than 25 per cent by 2063. "From our point of view, we feel we are one of the leaders in Manitoba when it comes to providing healthy aging services. This day helps us introduce or showcase some of the services we offer," she says. "We know from research that regardless of where you are at with your health that looking after yourself in terms of healthy aging — diet, mental well-being, social connections — can help optimize an individual's well- being. It also helps our whole health-care system if we keep people healthy and they're able to maintain their independence longer." The open house is organized by the Wellness Institute along with support from presenting community sponsor, River Ridge Retirement Residence. There is also participation of several community partners, including Active Aging in Manitoba (AAIM), the group formerly known as the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults in Manitoba (ALCOA-MB). The day will feature a series of presentations on personal wellness. It will kick off with a talk on healthy active aging at 11 a.m. which will be followed at 1:30 p.m. by a presentation from the Winnipeg Police Service on how people can protect themselves against fraud and scams. There will also be a presentation that evening on knee arthritis and post-surgery physiotherapy services BY JIM TIMLICK FOR THE FREE PRESS The Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital will fling open its doors later this month as part of the facility's annual Active Aging Day open house — and it will have some award- winning individuals on hand to welcome visitors. EVENT PROMOTES BENEFITS OF ACTIVE AGING Open house, open minds

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