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NOON
SEMINAR PROVIDES ACTIVITIES TO INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
FOR OLDER ADULTS
Contact:
Kevin Sanders, writer/editor, at (740) 593-0896.
ATHENS,
Ohio -- A simple activity such as chair volleyball can help
senior citizens increase physical health by building lost
strength and stamina. Barbara Pfeiffer, M.P.H., OU-COM
geriatric medicine administrator; Suzanne Croci, R.N.; and
Sarah McGrew, OU-COM social medicine patient services
coordinator will present "Strategies to Increase Physical
Activity Among Seniors" Feb. 21. The seminar will be held at
O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9, from noon to 1
p.m.
"The loss
of strength and stamina," said Croci, "is a result of
reduced physical activity." She said specifically designed
health programs for older adults and strategies to increase
the physical activity of older adults will be discussed.
Older adults will also be offered the opportunity to sign up
for and participate in health programs sponsored by an
ElderHealth Promotion Grant from the Ohio Department of
Health.
Older
adults as well as health-care professionals are invited to
the program. Lunch trays and brown bags are welcome.
Physicians, social workers, counselors and nurses can
receive one hour of continuing education credit for
attendance. For more information, call the Geriatric
Education Center at (740) 593-2258.
The
seminar is part of OU-COM's winter 2000 continuing education
series on geriatric medicine and gerontology, held on the
first and third Mondays of each month.
Sponsors
include the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology,
the Ohio University Counselor Education Program, the Western
Reserve Geriatric Education Center, the Consortium for
Health Education in Appalachia Ohio (CHEAO) and the Ohio
University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
On Jan. 3,
Steven Clay, D.O., spoke on "Evaluating Musculoskeletal
Complaints in Older Adults." Allison Batchelor, M.D.,
presented "Reducing the Risk of Falls" on Feb. 7. Two more
seminars are scheduled. On March 6, Wayne Carlsen, D.O.,
will speak on "Home Visit Case Study" and Tracy Marx, D.O.,
will present "An Overview of Hospice Programs" on March
20.
"The
seminars are designed for an interdisciplinary audience,"
Ellen Peterson geriatric education coordinator said. "Health
professionals from the community regularly attend, in
addition to interns, residents and medical students. Members
of the public are welcome as well, and the diversity of
disciplines represented by the participants makes for an
interesting exchange of ideas."
Peterson
said the seminar series was started by a federal grant that
established OU-COM as a contributing site to the Western
Reserve Geriatric Education Center in September 1994 and has
supported many continuing education programs. Provided by
the Department of Health and Human Services, the grant
supports educational programs in geriatrics and gerontology
for physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and other
health-care providers to 22 Southeastern Ohio
counties.
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