Category: Our Community

WALK A S.T.E.P.S. SAFE WALKING ROUTE

8/31/2020

Walking is the easiest exercise to help you start moving during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Walking outside, keeping a safe distance from others and wearing a mask can keep you safe. S.T.E.P.S Walking Routes for Modesto, Patterson and Ceres are mapped out routes so you can easily track your miles. These routes are available complete with directions, map, and other helpful walking tips. Please call (209) 525-4670 and we will mail you the map of your choice.
Please be aware due to COVID-19 safety protocol, the Senior Centers that are listed on the maps may be closed.
Also, before you start your walk check the air quality index on your phone or computer to ensure the best outside experience!

Written by: Erlinda Bourcier

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Outside Awareness

4/30/2020

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Falls can happen in and around the home amid our daily routine. With the weather warming up and our desire to get some sunshine on your face, here are some tips to help prevent falls outdoors when walking to stay active, doing yard work, or running errands.

Be aware of where and when you walk

Walk in areas with plenty of lighting, especially in the evening.
Be aware of your surroundings, such as, fallen leaves, tree roots, cracks in the sidewalk, curbs, holes, and uneven sidewalk.
Hold hand rails and move slowly when climbing stairs.
Be cautious during and after stormy weather. Rain can make any surface slippery.
Walk in crosswalks and use curb cuts or ramps when crossing the street.
Remember to wear correct eye wear when walking. Wear bifocals or reading glasses on bright days to reduce glare.

Some additional reminders to maintain walking distance during this time:

Stay 6 feet away from people on the sidewalk.
When preparing to pass someone be vigilant about moving feet away rather than inches, like we were used to.
We may need to get off the sidewalk entirely to let someone pass.
Remember the grass can be an uneven surface and cause a fall.
Find a time when not a lot of neighbors are out walking.
Cross the street on the other side of the road.
Single file line if walking with a family member from the same household.

While there may be more challenges to getting in our steps during this "stay at home" order we hope these tips will help you prevent a fall from occurring and encourage you if you choose to take a walk outdoors. For more tips on preventing falls visit the Stopfalls.org website.

Written by Jessica Shupp-Enes, Fitness Program Coordinator
Resources: http://stopfalls.org/
Image:https://www.sfexaminer.com/features/whos-to-blame-for-an-uneven-sidewalk/

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Mr. T's Delicate Donut-Should I or Shouldn't I Eat One?

6/7/2017

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In a recent news article, the Modesto Bee posted an article "Mr. T's ranks among 15 best doughnut shops in nation" http://www.modbee.com/news/article154434579.html Wow!
Business Insider listed Mr. T's as 13th out of 50 doughnut shops in the United States. Now I know doughnut do not have much of a nutritional value. They have approximately 340 calories with 200 calories as fat (61%). The Food and Drug Administration recommends 64 grams of fat per day so I guess if you eat a doughnut, don't eat anything else with fat the rest of the day. But just reading the article, I was reminded how yummy their doughnuts are. Mr. T's is the only place I would purchase doughnuts for special times. I think the other reason that draws me to this doughnut shop is the local atmosphere. It's neat to come into the shop which is one of a kind, the customers know you know it's all good. The staff is friendly and efficient getting my order and getting me out the door quickly. I enjoy the doughnuts but also enjoy supporting hardworking people. So I can eat a doughnut once in a while---moderation is key. Now if I buy one I usually cut it in half...

Author: Erlinda Bourcier

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Join Young at Heart S.T.E.P.S.

1/26/2016

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Oldest adults who walk briskly reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. The benefits of physical activity for heart health are well-known. However, minimal research has been done on the population of people 75 years and older.

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Healthy Aging & Fall Prevention Summit

10/29/2015

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The 13th Annual Healthy Aging and Fall Prevention Summit hosted by Healthy Aging Association, Kaiser Permanente, and Stanislaus County Area Agency on Aging attracted over 1,250 attendees. Of those attendees, over 65% were 65 years of age or older.

The Healthy Aging and Fall Prevention Summit was very successful. 84% of the attendees rated the event as excellent. This event is always filled with a dozen health screenings, health information, listen and learn sessions, and a fall prevention room. Most of the attendees have attended the event in previous years, but it was the first time for 33% of the attendees. They stated that the event contained almost all of the information they intended to receive.

Thank you to all of our community partners for helping us make it another sucessful event!

Save the Date for the 14th Annual
Healthy Aging & Fall Prevention Summit
Friday, October 21, 2016 at the Modesto Centre Plaza.

Author: Samantha Borba - Summit Coordinator

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Modesto Bee Article | County Pulse: Senior exercise classes in Stanislaus County saved by donations

5/26/2015

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BY KEN CARLSON

kcarlson@modbee.com

It appears that donations have given new life to the Young at Heart senior exercise classes in the outlying communities of Stanislaus County.

Some of those classes were in danger of closing in July when the county did not renew grant funding. The exercise program is designed to build strength and prevent life-threatening falls.

Young at Heart class members from Grayson offered feedback Tuesday to county supervisors, urging them to fund the beneficial program. After a Modesto Bee report appeared online May 10, the Stanislaus Senior Foundation donated $10,000 in one-time support for Young at Heart, which is operated by the Healthy Aging Association.

The association has since received other contributions that should keep the classes open in the July 1 to June 30 fiscal year, though the nonprofit group still is working on next year’s budget, Executive Director Dianna Olsen said.

Olsen said Supervisor Bill O’Brien gave $1,000 for the exercise groups in Oakdale and Waterford. Supervisor Jim DeMartini matched that amount for classes in his district.

The association still hasn’t made up for the $20,000 grant request that was denied early this month after the program received community development grant funds for more than 10 years.

The funds helped pay for instructors, exercise equipment, health education and staff costs of running the program in Ceres, Oakdale, Turlock, Patterson, Newman, Grayson and Waterford.

The exercise program is grounded in physical therapy concepts and health science in order to improve balance for seniors. People who are interested are screened first to make sure recent surgery or health conditions don’t prevent them from doing certain exercises, Olsen said.

Olsen said class sizes range from 20 members in the smallest communities to 112 registered participants in the Oakdale class. The classes are free, but participants do drop a few bucks in the donation boxes.

“We have people who have come in walkers or wheelchairs and are now standing and walking,” Olsen noted. It costs about $165,000 to run more than 30 classes in Stanislaus County, she said.

The association plans to apply for the federal community development grant funding for the following year. The grant funding is expected to be more competitive as county government puts more focus on programs to benefit young people.

The Healthy Aging Association’s 23 exercise classes in Modesto are not affected by the recent funding issue. Those groups are funded by an Area Agency on Aging grant, combined with support from Kaiser Permanente and United Way.

Ken Carlson: (209) 578-2321

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/ken-carlson/article21752622.html#storylink=cpy

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Organization to donate $10,000 to save senior exercise classes in Stanislaus County Senior foundation hopes someone will match donation

5/12/2015

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Young at Heart classes in outlying cities threatened

BY KEN CARLSON
kcarlson@modbee.com

The nonprofit Stanislaus Senior Foundation said it will donate $10,000 for the Young at Heart senior exercise classes, which are losing their grant funding in June.

Foundation President Elizabeth Price said the group’s board members approved the donation Monday after a story on the program’s funding crisis appeared in The Bee. The donation will be made to the Healthy Aging Association, which oversees the classes.

“We are hoping someone else comes forward to match it,” Price said.

Last week, Stanislaus County leaders agreed with a committee’s recommendation not to renew a $20,000 grant for the Young at Heart programs in Oakdale, Ceres, Turlock, Patterson, Newman, Grayson and Waterford. The exercise is considered important to health maintenance and fall prevention for seniors.

Loss of the grant funding is expected to result in some of those classes being cut in July. The 23 classes for seniors in Modesto are not affected.

A staff member with the Healthy Aging Association confirmed the foundation had offered the donation. The association is looking for funding sources to replace the $20,000 grant.

Founded in 2008, the Stanislaus Senior Foundation is a charity that works with the Area Agency on Aging and adult protective services to give emergency aid to seniors.

Ken Carlson: (209) 578-2321

Copied from the Modesto Bee article from 5/11/15
Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/news/local/article20695077.html#storylink=cpy

Follow the Stanislaus Senior Foundation on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/StanSeniorFoundation?fref=nf

Or visit their website at:
http://www.stanseniorfoundation.com/

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Modesto Bee Article (Monday 5/11/15)

5/11/2015

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By Ken Carlson
kcarlson@modbee.com

Teachers and students in a Friday exercise class at Oakdale’s Gladys Lemmons Senior Center had not yet received word that funding for the program will end in June.

The Young at Heart classes for seniors in Oakdale, Ceres and other outlying cities of Stanislaus County are more than fun and games.

The exercises improve flexibility, strength and balance, making the seniors less likely to fall at home and suffer serious injuries, teachers said. The workouts help relieve the effects of arthritis, diabetes and depression and help stroke victims recover, they added.

Gwen Tirrell, a 79-year-old assistant teacher in Oakdale, said the routines helped her overcome headaches, neck pain, hip pain and backaches, and restored motion in a shoulder.

“It stinks,” Tirrell said when she was told the county concurred with a committee’s recommendation to deny a $20,000 grant that has supported the program.

County supervisors gave approval last week to shift more federally funded community development grants to youth programs, causing seniors to lose out on funding.

Some of the Young at Heart classes in Ceres, Turlock, Oakdale, Patterson, Newman, Grayson and Waterford will be cut in July unless another source of money is identified, said Dianna Olsen, executive director of the Healthy Aging Association, which runs the classes.

No one has decided which classes will be cut. The Young at Heart groups in Modesto are not affected.

“We are just getting over being stunned,” Olsen said. “Not all of the classes will end. We will try to keep some. What I would like to do is find other funding.”

Last year, more than 1,450 seniors participated in the exercise classes, and 35 percent of them were in outlying communities, Olsen said.

The $20,000 grant paid for teachers, loops and straps and other gear for working the muscles and ligaments. Olsen is searching for other grant opportunities.

Kathy Sniffen, a member of the county Commission on Aging, challenged how $220,000 in public service funds were allocated to groups that applied for the competitive grants. None of those grants were awarded to senior groups, she noted.

Seven of the nine grants went to programs for children or youths; one was awarded to a food program and the other for services for homeless men. Sniffen said a community action plan gave top priority for the funding to children and youths. But seniors held the second priority, followed by the physically and mentally disabled. The latter group was not awarded any funding either, Sniffen said.

“There is a real discrepancy between how the funding was allocated and how community members ranked these priorities,” she said.

The recommendations for public service grants were made by a panel of representatives from the county, Ceres, Hughson, Oakdale, Patterson, Waterford, other local agencies and the county chief executive’s office.

In one change this year, $40,000 was set aside for a Focus on Prevention effort to benefit young people. Focus on Prevention is a county initiative to address the root causes of homelessness, gangs, crime and other social ills.

The $40,000 grant was approved for Central Valley Youth for Christ’s Point Break program to provide counseling for 160 youths and families identified through workshops at schools in the Ceres Unified School District. Counselors will strive to improve family relationships, reduce high-risk behavior and make sure the young people stay in school, the grant request says.

Point Break also has been implemented in Oakdale and Newman schools. Even though the broader Focus on Prevention campaign has not taken off, the grant is part of a county board directive to work on prevention, said Ruben Imperial of the chief executive’s office.

The Young at Heart classes tied for 10th in the scoring for public service grants and were not funded for the first time in 13 years.

Sandra Cordano, who attended Friday’s class in Oakdale with 30 other seniors, said her health depends on the exercise class. “What we are doing keeps me flexible and keeps my balance,” she said. “When you miss a class or two, you feel it.”

County supervisors said last week they need to shift the limited pot of community development grant money to other purposes. They want to concentrate more on prevention after spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year treating the symptoms of social decay.

“This is not easy, especially when we are changing things around,” board Chairman Terry Withrow said.

Ken Carlson: (209) 578-2321

AT A GLANCE
Public Service Grant awards for 2015-16 fiscal year in Stanislaus County
1. Salvation Army After School Program: $19,812
2. Second Harvest Food Assistance: $20,000
3. CASA of Stanislaus County: $20,000
4. Westside Family Resource Center: $20,000
5. Ceres Partnership for Healthy Children: $20,000
6. Oakdale Family Resource Center: $20,000
7. Second Harvest Food 4 Thought: $20,000
8. We Care Program shelter: $20,000
9. Children’s Crisis Center: $20,000
10. Young at Heart Program: zero

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/news/local/article20647866.html#storylink=cpy

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Older Americans Month

4/10/2015

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What is Older Americans Month?

Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country.
Every President since JFK has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities.
Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country through ceremonies, events, fairs and other such activities.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act, ACL is focusing on how older adults are taking charge of their health, getting engaged in their communities, and making a positive impact in the lives of others.
The theme for Older Americans Month 2015 is: Get into the Act.
Now is the time to Get into the Act to make the benefits of community living a reality for more older Americans. Together we can promote healthy aging, increase community involvement for older adults, and tackle important issues like the prevention of elder abuse.

Idea's for Older Americans month

Community gardening and/or cooking—identify the activities that bring the generations together.
Exercise —support a fun fitness activity and lifelong recreation.
Educational programs for healthy living—encourage lifelong learning.
Recreational activities for older adults—encourage active living.
Volunteer recognition—honor older adults who make a difference.

or Join us at the Age with Movement Celebration

Friday, May 1, 2015
7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
at East La Loma Park
2001 Edgebrook Drive, Modesto

Two Walk Start Times
8:00 AM & 10:00 AM
35 + Community Vendors
Exercise Demonstrations (Tai Chi and Zumba)
Health Screenings
Light Refreshments
FUNSTRUMMERS
The Quake Mobile DJ
a whole morning full of FUN!

All proceeds benefit the Young at Heart Fitness Programs of Stanislaus County

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Book of Dreams

2/2/2015

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We were selected as one of the 10 organizations to be apart of the Book of Dreams in the Modesto Bee. You can read the article at A Book of Dreams: Young at Heart. We received over $3,400 from our community, THANK YOU!

Here is the article copied from the Modesto Bee Article:
Five years ago, Gwen Tirell couldn’t reach down to tie her own shoes or cut her toenails.

Now, the 79-year-old instructs a Young at Heart exercise class three times a week at the Gladys Lemmons Community Center in Oakdale. With the vigor of someone a few decades younger, she helps lead a class of about 30 senior citizens in an hour-long stretching, marching and strength-training regimen.

“I was in bad shape,” Tirell said about the Gwen of five years ago. In addition to her stiffness, she suffered from headaches and backaches. She credits the Young at Heart program, offered free of charge through the Healthy Aging Association, with the change.

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Healthy Aging
Updates & Posts

WALK A S.T.E.P.S. SAFE WALKING ROUTE

Outside Awareness

Mr. T's Delicate Donut-Should I or Shouldn't I Eat One?

Join Young at Heart S.T.E.P.S.

Healthy Aging & Fall Prevention Summit

Save the Date for the 14th Annual
Healthy Aging & Fall Prevention Summit
Friday, October 21, 2016 at the Modesto Centre Plaza.

Modesto Bee Article | County Pulse: Senior exercise classes in Stanislaus County saved by donations

Organization to donate $10,000 to save senior exercise classes in Stanislaus County Senior foundation hopes someone will match donation

Modesto Bee Article (Monday 5/11/15)

Older Americans Month

Idea's for Older Americans month

or Join us at the Age with Movement Celebration

Book of Dreams

Categories

Healthy Aging ​Updates & Posts

​Save the Date for the 14th Annual Healthy Aging & Fall Prevention Summit Friday, October 21, 2016 at the Modesto Centre Plaza.

Idea's for Older Americans month

or Join us at the Age with Movement Celebration

Categories

Healthy Aging
Updates & Posts

Save the Date for the 14th Annual
Healthy Aging & Fall Prevention Summit
Friday, October 21, 2016 at the Modesto Centre Plaza.