Seventeen Elders enjoyed riding the back roads during our annual fall color tour. We rode in our two handicap vehicles, one which is a bus, from Grand Portage to Hungry Jack Lodge for lunch. The colors were beautiful and we are quite the sight to see, these big vehicles on the dirt roads. The cars we met were surprised as we squeezed by them.
We saw many birds and squirrels but no deer or moose this year. The weather was outstanding and the food and hospitality at Hungry Jack couldn’t be better. Miigwech Forrest. One of our Elders is the great-granddaughter of Hungry Jack (Andrew “Jack” Jackson Scott) so it was especially nice she was able to go.
We enjoyed a nutrition presentation with our SNAP coordinator, Tess. She shared information and simple recipes that can be used with our greenhouse and garden harvest.
We also marked Falls Prevention Day with information provided by our director who is our Matter of Balance instructor about how to stay upright. Patty built on the information Tess shared with the benefits of exercise as we age, debunking the myths of older adult falls and six easy steps we can take to prevent falling.
Grand Portage Elders had a fabulous day riding the back roads to enjoy the fall colors. Before and after their fall color tour, Grand Portage Elders enjoyed a lunch at historic Hungry Jack Lodge.
On October 1, Treg Axtell, the physical therapist reinforced those ideas and shared more tips on how to prevent falling. One in three older adults, about 12 million, fall every year in the U.S. One out of five falls cause serious injury such as broken bones or head injury. Over 700,000 patients a year are hospitalized, many of these are from hip fractures.
Exercise, maintaining muscle strength and flexibility can be regained and help keep us from falling. Simple things such as modifications to our homes, talking to family members, annual physicals with sight and medication checks, assistive devices and planning ahead all help to keep us from falling. The ENP has brochures as well as other information available to prevent falls. Stop in and pick some up.
Marjori Bottila will be at the ENP on the 20th for Medicare enrollment and information on Medicare Part D. A light supper and talk will be held that evening in the ENP. Enrollment or changing your plan can be done from now until December 7. Watch for the flyer.
Jason Burnett, Inger Pignolet, Eddie Hertzberg, Ralph Tesser, Bob Hertzberg enjoying the colors on Ringo Road stop.
We are looking forward to our annual fire extinguisher checks and PASS instruction on October 21 with Northland Fire.
Mark your calendars as we will be decorating cakes on the 29th at 12:30 p.m. for the cakewalk at the Halloween Carnival the next day. All Elders are needed for this job. Enjoy the great fall weather, as I heard on the news that snowflakes are in the forecast.
Cook County has a vibrant and active community of elders. Each week we will offer Senior News to highlight our senior citizens. This week’s submission is about the Grand Portage Elder Nutrition Program courtesy of Patty Winchell-Dahl.
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