Celebrating Good Health Conference Emphasized Wellness For Seniors

For Larry and Erma White, wellness means more than a clean bill of health.

“To be well means to try to have at least one good laugh a day,” says Erma. “It means to keep busy and to enjoy friends. It means to know when to stop worrying, to listen to others and to plan for tomorrow.”

Both in their 80s, the Whites have been married 55 years. When they’re not exercising, gardening, playing music or socializing, just being together is enough.

For the Whites and other seniors in the Inland Northwest, wellness is as much a mental outlook as it is a medical condition.

“Celebrating Wellness” is the theme for this year’s health conference for senior citizens, which will be held Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Spokane Community College.

The conference, in its third year, is sponsored by Spokane Senior Citizens Centers, Medical Service Corp. and the area’s leading hospitals, clinics and health organizations.

“The latter years of one’s life are largely dependent on one’s health,” says Richard Maginot, conference chairman. “Health is the number one concern of seniors in retirement.”

The goal of the conference, he says, is to educate senior citizens about prevention and early detection of health problems and to teach them what they can do to stay well.

More than 500 seniors are expected to attend the conference, which will include a variety of speakers, workshops, health screenings, displays, exhibits and entertainment. Lunch is also included in the $8 ticket price.

Keynote speaker Margo Long will talk about “Up, Alive and Going Forward.” Long is founder and director of the Whitworth Center for Gifted and Talented Education, and has a long-standing commitment to seniors.

Leading medical professionals will offer workshops on topics such as medical updates, dental health, nutrition, Medicare and medical directives.

A panel of experts will discuss “Activities Unlimited” and a workshop on inner strength is titled “Body-Mind-Spirit.”

Free health screenings will be available throughout the day for glaucoma, diabetes, blood pressure, body fat, nutrition, foot care, hearing and skin cancer.

“Seniors are the fastest-growing demographic group in the nation,” says Maginot. “There are more of them and they are living longer. It’s important for people to learn how to be proactive in taking care of their health.

“The real art is staying well in the first place.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONFERENCE The Seniors’ Wellness Conference is Thursday from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene. The conference, open to seniors and persons interested in senior wellness, will be held in the Student Activities Building (The Lair). Parking is free in designated areas. Tickets are $8 per person, which includes lunch. For more information or to order tickets, call the Corbin Center at 327-1584.