Seniors focus of Active Aging Week

Monday kicked off Active Aging Week in Sedalia, Cole Camp and Warsaw with activities to enhance the mind and body to help keep senior citizens healthy.

Jo Lynn Turley, county service director of Pettis County through Care Connection, said this is the first time the Sedalia Senior Center has participated in Active Aging Week.

“One of our main purposes is to keep seniors up and active,” Turley said.

Active Aging Week is a national event promoted by the International Council on Active Aging.

Tuesday was national Fall Prevention Day and seniors in Sedalia received free eye exams and eye glass adjustments.

Turley said many falls are do to a loss of balance that can be created by eye glasses that do not fit or are the wrong prescription.

Gay Groves, and her friend, Charlene Bragaw, both of Sedalia, took advantage of the free eye exams before they played their weekly game of Mahjong.

“I just started coming here, specifically for Mahjong,” Groves said.

Bragaw also enjoys the games and participated in bingo Monday.

Bragaw said she has been coming to the Senior Center for four years and has met many friends throughout the years.

“When you're at home, you just sit and don’t move and don’t motivate yourself,” Bragaw said.

The two said they would both like to try the Tai Chi class sometime and think the events going on this week are great.

“It makes your mind work. That is very important for seniors,” Bragaw said.

Kenneth and Lillie Kretzer, of Sedalia, are two of the volunteers at the Senior Center.

“I do the bingo and he works in the kitchen,” Lillie said.

The two help others at the center almost every day of the week.

“I enjoy helping them,” Kenneth said.

They have both made new friends and Lillie’s mother also attended the center years ago and met Lillie’s stepfather there.

“It’s better than sitting at home,” Lillie said.

Events continue through Friday in Cole Camp at 206 Junge St., Warsaw at 920 Gunstock Road, and Sedalia at 312 S. Washington Ave.