Take a look at where the Wellness Program at Cross Keys Village is headed. Click here to learn more about the soon-to-be-completed Harvey S. Kline Wellness Center, or click here for the latest construction update on the wellness center and the Harmony Ridge West Apartments.
Wellness
We’ve come so far so fast. The wellness team of Director Kristin Orwick and Wellness Specialist Michelle Collins launched a program in 2006 that is setting a standard in this critically important programming area.
Starting late in 2005, the staff – plus a cadre of volunteers – completed fitness evaluations of independent living villagers. Three levels of fitness were defined, and different classes were offered, based on the different needs in each group. Villagers signed up for appropriate classes or chose to work out independently.
Twenty-one classes were offered at the various levels in Tai Chi Chih, Power, Balance and Strength, Strength and Stretch, and Back in Balance. Classes were held in the Harmony Ridge community activities room and in a wellness classroom in the building that also houses PNC Bank on PA Route 94.| The new focus on wellness comes from one of the “Strategic Directions” adopted by the Board of Directors of Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community in 2005. Wellness was already a priority, but the new programmatic push recognized its role in quality of life and focused renewed campus-wide energy on an initiative that has already begun to produce marked results and will be felt more and more over time. |
Results from the first quarter of 2006 were dramatic. More than a third of all villagers took part, and when a new round of evaluations was conducted, improvements were noted in all test areas. Average performance improved by as much as one-third.
Individuals noted significant improvement in overall energy levels and ability to perform various daily tasks. “It made a difference” was a comment made more than once.
Age Dynamics, which has consulted with Cross Keys and helped to set up the wellness program, noted that Orwick “has successfully managed to incorporate more programming across the campus than any other community (Age Dynamics) has supported.”
As the program for independent living villagers thrives, the team has begun to look at the wellness needs of Assisted Living and Adult Day Care residents, and they will begin to set up a program for staff members.
In a summary evaluation from Age Dynamics, the success of the program was neatly captured: “We acknowledge Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community for embracing wellness principles and taking the necessary steps to make wellness a visible reality.”
A wealth of opportunities
A highly anticipated new wellness center at Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community will open up a wealth of programming opportunities.
The new facility, scheduled to be built in 2007-08, will house an indoor lap pool, a group exercise room, a cardiovascular/strength training equipment room, a massage therapy suite, changing rooms, and more.
Many wellness programming options are possible for the pool: adult learn-to-swim classes, lap swimming, deep- and shallow-water aerobics, strength-and-stretch classes, arthritis pain management classes, ai chi (water tai chi), volleyball and other water games, and nearly endless other possibilities.
The group exercise room can accommodate all kinds of non-aquatic activities, and its adjacent storage area provides a place for equipment to support even more activities. With an attached pantry, this room also can host social functions.
The cardiovascular/strength training equipment room will house user-friendly equipment to prevent injuries and ensure a pleasurable, independent workout experience.
The entire center is equipped to house community events of all sizes and kinds, and the wellness department staff is researching possibilities that might benefit both the campus and the surrounding areas of Adams and York counties.
One such example is NeuroFit, a proactive approach to slowing the progression of Parkinson’s, MS, post-polio syndrome, and other neurological movement disorders. NeuroFit participants and their caregivers engage in this small-group, supervised movement program to learn techniques for improving balance, flexibility, voice power, and functional movement.
NeuroFit will be incorporated into the wellness program in the near future.
Currently, Adams County does not have a location to host Senior Games competitions, and in conjunction with other local recreation facilities, the new wellness might prove an ideal location.
By Kristin Orwick, Wellness Program Director
