SilverSneakers: more than senior fitness
Harvey Naeser, 87, enjoys his daily workout at the Wallingford YMCA.
Posted by Samaia Hernandez
Posted: 18 March 2009
WALLINGFORD — For many people seeking exercise, finding an appropriate facility and staying motivated can be daunting, if not flat-out discouraging. For seniors, particularly those with ailments, a fitness regimen might even seem entirely out of reach.
But the Wallingford Family YMCA will offer a program for seniors starting next month that includes free membership, tailored fitness classes, advice and the opportunity to socialize and network.
It’s called the Healthways SilverSneakers Program, a national fitness program available free to in-state members of AARP Medicare Complete, AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana, Secure Horizons by United Healthcare and Well Care of Connecticut.
“People are living longer and living healthier than any time previously,” said Mark Graham, the Wallingford Y’s health and wellness director. “The worldview has changed on how we used to view seniors. Now they need to play golf, tennis and run. We never used to think of grandpa doing stuff like that.”
The moderate exercise program is intended for seniors who want to remain active. It focuses on flexibility, strengthening joints, muscle toning, strengthening bone density, balance and coordination.
Programs such as SilverSneakers function as promotions for local Medicare Advantage plans, and are part of a trend toward preventive care, said Alfred Chiplin, a senior policy attorney at the Mansfield-based Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonprofit group that helps elders obtain Medicare coverage.
Medicare Advantage refers to coverage that goes beyond traditional Medicare Parts A and B, which focus on hospital and physician services on a fee-schedule or fee-service basis.
“In general, Medicare, over the past 10 years, has been adding preventive benefits to its list of things that are available under the traditional Medicare program,” Chiplin said. Offerings include annual mammograms, blood pressure checks, physicals and cancer screenings.
Advantage programs can add all the “bells and whistles,” such as fitness programs, Chiplin said, but it’s important for members to understand that they are perks.
The center’s Web site, www.medicareadvocacy.org, is a good resource for checking program offerings, and www.medicare.gov lists the core Medicare program components and providers by state and county.
In addition, the state’s health insurance counseling program CHOICES can be reached at 1-800-994-9422 to help compare care options.
Chiplin said that fitness and wellness programs will help with the overall quality of life, and resident Phyllis Drescher is excited that the program is coming to Wallingford.
She has taught aerobic classes at the Y for the past 39 years. In addition to holding a master’s degree in exercise physiology, Drescher taught courses on the subject at both Yale University and Southern Connecticut State University. She now teaches senior water aerobics and will head the new SilverSneakers courses that will be offered four times a week starting April 13.
As Drescher battles fibromyalgia and osteoporosis, the classes are of particular interest to her, and she gets a lot out of teaching them.
“A bit of the class is a social thing. It’s where everybody gets to know each other and talk about it,” she said. “We talk about heath issues and everything under the sun while we’re exercising. We usually try to have a good belly laugh every day.”
“A lot of people are afraid they can’t do it. People come in walkers, with knee problems and hip replacements,” Drescher said. “Everybody is going to get something out of the class,” as exercises will be adapted to individual abilities.
Submitted by Jeff Kurz on Wed, 03/18/2009 - 12:07
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