This article was submitted by Dre White, Agency on Aging 3 Health Education Coordinator, and Ada boys' varsity basketball coach. Click here for its website.

Born and raised in Lima, Avyce has been a resident at Lochhaven Assisted Living since August of 2019. Three sons, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren are her pride and joy.  The best part?  “They all live around Lima,” Avyce shared with pleasure.

Known as the “social butterfly” among her peers Avyce enjoys visiting and remaining social with her neighbors.  Social interaction is such a vital piece of each of the agency’s Health Education workshops and may be in large part what drew Avyce to A Matter of Balance. 

A Matter of Balance (MOB) is an 8-week structured group intervention that emphasizes practical strategies to reduce fear of falling, improve balance, and increase activity levels in older adults. 

Besides the social benefits, Avyce also realized MOB was the perfect fit for some of the conditions she battles every day, including COPD, congestive heart failure, and arthritis.  “My balance is none”, Avyce reported to her MOB instructor. 

“I really liked the instruction, explanation of exercises, and constant encouragement to an older group who could use the justification that we can actually do this”.  Avyce was very appreciative of the encouragement, positivity, and desire of her instructor to help her and her peers!

Following the workshop, Avyce reports that she continues to be as active and cautious as possible.  She walks whenever she can including daily to get her mail & still enjoys watching the euchre games throughout the facility.  She did acknowledge the recent challenges with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.  

With the continued guidance and recommendations asking our older adults to remain home, it is equally important that older adults stay active during these times of low activity and isolation.  Avyce reports despite it being challenging at times to maintain social connections and physical activities, she is very grateful for the many efforts the staff at Lochhaven have put forth for her and her fellow neighbors to try and provide options of social and physical activities while taking into consideration the recent social distancing guidelines. 

This serves as a reminder for all of us try to remain active in different ways during this challenging time.  With agency education classes temporarily postponed, the Area Agency on Aging 3 has put together resources on how to stay active at home.   The agency has launched a section on its website - Active At Home - to help fill the void for the Health Education classes.  It includes videos and information about how to stay moving while confined to their homes. 

Area Agency on Aging 3
2423 Allentown Rd.
Lima, Ohio 45805 

419-222-7723 
1-800-653-7723 General Fax: 419-222-6212 
Pre-Admission Review Fax: 419-222-8262 
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