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February 1, 2007 ACTIVE LIVING COALITION FOR OLDER ADULTS RECEIVES $70,000 TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLESA $70,000 funding package will support the development of healthy lifestyle promotion strategies for older adults in Manitoba, Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross, minister responsible for seniors, announced today.
“Manitoba’s healthy aging strategy supports efforts to address the many factors of healthy aging,” said Irvin-Ross. “We recognize the value of planning for our aging population and we are always looking for ways to better respond to the needs and interests of older Manitobans.”
The Active Living Coalition for Older Adults Manitoba (ALCOA), in collaboration with the Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital, will use the funding to engage seniors in developing healthy lifestyle strategies. Funding consists of:
· $58,000 for the promotion of healthy lifestyles for older adults, expanding the existing speaker’s bureau and facilitating provincewide, ongoing recruitment, training and support of members in the seniors community who wish to promote healthy lifestyles among their peers, and
· $12,000 for the creation and distribution of a healthy lifestyle module to be used by the speaker’s bureau.
“The funding received from the Province of Manitoba will be most beneficial in assisting ALCOA with the resources required to promote and implement the concepts of healthy living among older adults,” said Dan Bernaerdt, chair of ALCOA Manitoba.
The Active Living Coalition of Older Adults distributes information to seniors on healthy active-living research and best practices and encourages the involvement of seniors in community development.
Carrie Solmundson, chief operating officer for the Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital, said the partnership with ALCOA is a fit with her organization’s work on preventing illness through the support of healthy lifestyles.
“The Wellness Institute is all about active living, not just for younger fit people, but for people with barriers and challenges, and people who want to stay well long into their retirement,” said Solmundson.
The Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital has developed a reputation for innovation and excellence with programs based on best practices research, the minister noted. Their vision is to lead a shift toward illness prevention and wellness in the province’s health-care system.
“This investment reflects the government’s commitment to assist older Manitobans in improving their quality of life and remaining a part of the communities they have built,” said Irvin-Ross.
For more information on the Wellness Institute, visit http://www.wellnessinstitute.mb.ca. For more information on ALCOA, visit http://www.alcoa.ca/e/index.htm.
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