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View our current catalog (pdf)  View our May Volunteer Newsletter (pdf) | |
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Rural Older Adult Wellness Program Celebrates Success Farmington, MO, December 2007 - It was a day set aside to celebrate dedication and success. And with over 130 in attendance it was yet another success for the Older Adult Wellness program. Attendees included group members, facilitators, guests and volunteers from St. Francois, Iron and Washington Counties. The Older Adult Wellness Program is a partnership between OASIS, Parkland Health Center and BJC Behavioral Health, with funding provided through a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The program is targeted to adults 55 and older and consists of a variety of classes, workshops, peer support groups and volunteer services. Available classes include evidence-based programs like Active Living Every Day, Healthy Eating Every Day, ExerStart and Living a Healthy Life. Kathy Cannell-David is the Director of Rehab and Wellness at Parkland Health Center and helped request the grant that was used to start the adult wellness program. "I was passionate about this program because I saw the need for it in our community. As a community, we aren't reaching out to each other. That is what outreach programs such as this are all about," said Cannell-David. The first group started in June of 2006 with 20 participants. "I'm happy to say that we have added 15 groups and over 200 people," said Donna Gilliam, Older Adult Wellness coordinator. Gilliam says that she is always looking for more people to attend sessions, volunteer and even facilitate group sessions. Karen Miller is the Associate Director of the Southeast Division of BJC Behavioral Health. She spoke to the crowd at the luncheon, stating, "Depression is not a normal part of growing old. Many people feel depression comes with age. That is not true." Miller encourages those suffering from depression to seek treatment when needed. Part of the recovery process is becoming more involved in the community. The older adult wellness program is designed to help with this. Jocelyn Tobnick, National OASIS Health Director for OASIS, is pleased with all of the hard work and dedication seen in this area. "This is the first rural OASIS program that we've done. It has gone above and beyond what we had hoped," said Tobnick. "Many people have heard that heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. What many people don't know is that the second leading cause of death is related to social isolation and depression," concluded Cannell-David. For more information on the Older Adult Wellness program, to become a participant or volunteer, please contact Donna Gilliam at 573-760-8529 or by email at drw5342@bjc.org or visit the Parkland website. | |||||||||||||||