Health and Wellness

B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging is dedicated to the health and well-being of all older adults in our community.

Strength - Hope - Courage
Finding a Healthier You

Developed by Stanford University, the Chronic Disease Self Management Program was developed for individuals and family members of individuals that are living with a long term health condition or a chronic health condition.

These free workshops last for six weeks with participants meeting once a week for 2.5
hours.

Participants will learn:

  • Healthy eating
  • Exercise techniques
  • Managing symptoms
  • Relaxation Techniques
  • Setting goals to improve health
  • How to communicate with family and
    health professionals

The program's evidence-based structure relies on the assumption that people with
chronic conditions have similar concerns and problems, and that they must deal not only with their disease(s), but also with the impact these diseases have on their lives and emotions.

Healthy Step for Older Adults

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging offers this fall risk screening and prevention
program to adults 50 years of age and older. The program is designed to raise awareness of falls, introduce steps on how to reduce falls, improve overall health, and provide referrals and resources. The program is taught by Certified Workshop Leaders and consists of two workshops, approximately 2-hours each in length, held on one day or two days within the same week. It is available in both English and Spanish.


Healthy Steps for Older Adults (HSOA) addresses many common causes of falls:

  • Environmental safety
  • Balance, strength, flexibility, and
    endurance exercises
  • Nutrition
  • Foot health
  • Sensory deficits (vision/hearing)
  • Side effects of medication
  • Health status/disease states, including
    substance use
  • The need to maintain an active lifestyle
  • Social connectedness
  • Mental and spiritual well-being

10 Keys to Healthy Aging

A program developed by the University of Pittsburg's Research Center to guide individuals on how to improve their health practices by attending educational workshops to learn about the “10-Keys” to Healthy Aging and the many NO COST and low cost preventive services provided by Medicare to help keep you healthy.

The workshops are taught by Certified Health Ambassadors and APPRISE counselors.

The program discusses 10 areas of chronic health conditions that researchers show the aging population is most affected by.

  • Lowering Systolic Blood Pressure
  • Stop Smoking
  • Participating in Cancer Screenings
  • Getting Immunized Regularly
  • Regulating Blood Glucose
  • Lowering LDL Cholesterol
  • Being Physically Active
  • Maintaining Healthy Bones, Joints, and Muscles
  • Maintaining Social Contact

Arthritis Aquatics Program

This warm water exercise program is great for every fitness level to reduce pain and
improve overall health. Exercises include range of motion, muscle-strengthening, and socialization activities and an optional moderate intensity aerobic component.

Trained Aquatic instructors offer classes to:

  • Increase overall sense of well-being
  • Promote better quality of life
  • Reduce pain/inflammation
  • Improve joint function
  • Increase muscular strength

There is no charge for those aged 60 and older

Healthy Steps in Motion

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging offers this falls prevention exercise program to adults 50 years of age and older. The program is taught by Certified Workshop Leaders and is designed for people of all fitness levels. It consists of eight sessions presented as either a two session per week program over four weeks or a one session per week program over eight weeks. It starts with a warm-up, followed by strength and balance exercises and ends with a cool-down stretch. There are three levels of exercises, which enables participants to continue HSIM for as long as they like.

HSIM strives to reduce the risk of falling by:

  • Build body strength
  • Increase flexibility
  • Improve balance

HSIM promotes increased socialization and physical activities outside of the program among participants.

HSIM Workshop Leaders are certified through classroom instruction with an exercise physiologist to teach any of the three levels of strength and balance exercises.