Programs for Our Older Adults
The health district has programs, some free, to help keep EVERYONE healthier in the community.
For our residents in their older years, we have programs to help build muscle strength, immunize against deadly diseases, and prevent cancers. For older adults raising young children, check out our family programs page.
This exercise program is for residents who want to improve their balance, strength, and flexbility. The exercises are low-impact and can be done standing or while sitting in a chair.
The vaccines we use help prevent dangerous and deadly diseases, 15 to be exact. Vaccines work with the body's natural defenses by imitating an infection, however this imitation doesn't cause any actual illness. Instead the vaccine causes the immune system to develop the same response it would to a real infection so the body can recognize and fight the vaccine-preventable disease in the future. It's a little bit like a low-key bootcamp for the body.
*Sometimes the vaccine can cause minor symptoms, like a fever. This is normal and should be expected as the body builds immunity.*
Influenza:
Each year “the flu” kills about 20 thousand people—many seniors. The best time to get your vaccination is in October because flu season usually runs from November to spring.
Mental health is the wellness of our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. The state of your mental health affects how you act, think, and feel about the world around you. A healthy mental state is important at every stage of life, from childhood to older adulthood.
Where do I start?
Identifying the signs of emotional suffering in yourself and the people around you is an excellent place to start. Understanding when someone is struggling with mental illness or a mental disorder gives you the power to act, empower, and protect that person.
Learn more here.
Research shows smoking is closely linked to heart problems and higher mortality rates among patients 60 years and older.
Don’t wait! Take steps now to quit smoking and improve your quality of life.
South Central Public Health District offers FREE smoking cessation classes. Find them on our website or call 208-737-5968.
Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other parts of the body later. Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. The colon
is the large intestine or large bowel. The rectum is the passageway that connects the colon to the anus.
40% of Idahoans (age 50-75) are NOT up to date on colorectal cancer screening.
If you are 50 or older, you are at higher risk for colon cancer – even if you are healthy. Colon cancer starts with a polyp in the large intestine, which is very common in people
age 50 and older.
There are now simple tests available that you can do at home. Talk to your doctor about colon cancer prevention!
Heart disease and stroke are an epidemic in the United States today.
Your lifestyle, age, family history, and various health conditions all play a part in your risk for heart disease. In fact, about half of all Americans (47%) have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Some of the risk factors for heart disease cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.
Seven steps to prevent heart attacks and strokes:
Activities for older adults facing loneliness
