WVU student pharmacists to host Senior Olympics
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Second-year students from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy are holding a Senior Olympics to stress the importance of physical fitness to area seniors.
The student pharmacists are working with Sundale Nursing Home to host the event, beginning at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, at SteppingStones, located at 400 Mylan Park Drive in Morgantown.
“The purpose of the Senior Olympics is to engage participants from various nursing homes in fitness activities that they will look forward to and enjoy, while also promoting an active and healthy lifestyle,” WVU student pharmacist Sydnee Hewitt of Morgantown, W.Va., said.
Residents from other local nursing and assisted living facilities were invited to participate in the Senior Olympics. The event will include basketball, bowling, and wheel chair races, as well as other activities, such as hanging clothespins on a line to focus on dexterity and hand-eye and motor coordination. Members from the West Virginia Geri Olympics event team will also be in attendance to assist with activities.
The student pharmacists were partnered with Sundale through the WVU Center for Service and Learning for their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience course, which promotes service to the community.
This is the third year students from the WVU School of Pharmacy have hosted the event with Sundale. The Senior Olympics event was designed to encourage older adults who have reduced physical or cognitive function to engage in physical activity — a specific objective of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Healthy People 2020 campaign.
Event participants will also receive a variety of health information materials, dental hygiene products, and can obtain blood glucose and blood pressure screenings.
“We hope this information will help educate the residents on being proactive about their health and that the games at the Senior Olympics will inspire them to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives,” Hewitt said.
For more information about the WVU School of Pharmacy, visit http://pharmacy.hsc.wvu.edu.
Attention reporters and editors: If you plan to cover the event, please contact Amy Newton in advance at 304-293-7192.
The student pharmacists are working with Sundale Nursing Home to host the event, beginning at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, at SteppingStones, located at 400 Mylan Park Drive in Morgantown.
“The purpose of the Senior Olympics is to engage participants from various nursing homes in fitness activities that they will look forward to and enjoy, while also promoting an active and healthy lifestyle,” WVU student pharmacist Sydnee Hewitt of Morgantown, W.Va., said.
Residents from other local nursing and assisted living facilities were invited to participate in the Senior Olympics. The event will include basketball, bowling, and wheel chair races, as well as other activities, such as hanging clothespins on a line to focus on dexterity and hand-eye and motor coordination. Members from the West Virginia Geri Olympics event team will also be in attendance to assist with activities.
The student pharmacists were partnered with Sundale through the WVU Center for Service and Learning for their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience course, which promotes service to the community.
This is the third year students from the WVU School of Pharmacy have hosted the event with Sundale. The Senior Olympics event was designed to encourage older adults who have reduced physical or cognitive function to engage in physical activity — a specific objective of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Healthy People 2020 campaign.
Event participants will also receive a variety of health information materials, dental hygiene products, and can obtain blood glucose and blood pressure screenings.
“We hope this information will help educate the residents on being proactive about their health and that the games at the Senior Olympics will inspire them to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives,” Hewitt said.
For more information about the WVU School of Pharmacy, visit http://pharmacy.hsc.wvu.edu.
Attention reporters and editors: If you plan to cover the event, please contact Amy Newton in advance at 304-293-7192.