Senior Life: Get outside and stay active with Portage Parks
- Sally Kelly
Over the past few months, I have shared with you a variety of discounts that are available to senior citizens in Portage County. Here in our own county, there are some “free” services that we may never think of. Well, not really free … our tax dollars at work. At least when you need the service, it is free.
The Portage County Parks, located throughout our county … from one end to the other, are free to use, regardless of our age. In fact twice a month, the Park’s staff offer free “Senior Hikes.” These are all on ADA accessible trails.
Last month, our older neighbors (accompanied by staff) walked some of the Headwaters Trail, and on another day they walked the Portage Hike and Bike Trail starting at Lake Rockwell Road.
For the summer schedule of Senior Hikes, contact the Portage Park District at 330-297-7728.
Why not put a little more fun in the walk, invite a friend and pack a lunch. Though the hike will not be that long, you can make a day of it outside in the sun.
The June issue of the AARP Magazine offered a whole section on what happens to our bodies as we age. In particular, one part of the article describes how one in four of us will have a change in our eyesight by the time we reach our late 60s (cataracts.)
Another part of the article tells us that one in three of us will need hearing aids, and 70% of us will lose some of our sense of taste.
And another part of the article describes how 60% of us will have a measurable loss in our sense of touch.
But the article notes that our “intuition” may become more reliable as we age. After all, we had a lot of “life experiences” by the time we reach our 60s and beyond.
This whole article left me feeling kind of depressed, thinking it was kind of scary. This is supposed to be our Golden Years! But still, knowledge is power
If you do not get this magazine, you might want to stop by your neighborhood library and check the magazine out— worth reading, though it does not offer a happy ending. The articles do offer some suggestions on how to prevent some of this from happening. As a reminder: the library is free.
One of the suggestions in these articles in the AARP Magazine is that we keep up with our vaccinations. Our Portage County Health Department (also tax supported) offers vaccination clinics in Windham at the Renaissance Family Center on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 2 to 4 p.m. The Ravenna office (East Main Street) also offers nurses clinics on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon every week.
They accept most insurances (not HMOs), and if you do not have insurance, the fee is $10.
Contact Sally Kelly with your senior news at 330-687-9501 or sentrip65@yahoo.com.
Sally Kelly