Mayor's Corner: Keeping Lakewood’s Seniors Active And Healthy

Lakewood rightly has a long tradition of supporting and celebrating our senior community – our Division of Aging was one of the first of its kind in the region when it was established over 50 years ago. Soon the City will join with several local partners in another effort to encourage healthy and active aging for our senior population. September 30 - October 6, 2024 is national Active Aging Week, and the City will take advantage of the occasion with our own host of special events and programming that promotes and leverages the many resources available here.

We’ve all heard that activity and exercise are essential to staying healthy as we age, and Active Aging Week is an excellent way to get the word out, connect seniors with resources and education, and promote ways to keep moving. The highlight of the week is a Community Day event on Wednesday October 2nd at Lakewood Park from 3pm – 7pm. Seniors can enjoy everything from yoga, dance, and outdoor games/competitions to blood pressure screening, fall prevention education, and information on the seven dimensions of wellness, just to name a few.

I am very excited about this weeklong focus on our seniors, which builds on our Division of Aging’s decades of service and leadership in this field. Active Aging week is an example of how Lakewood continues to act on its community value of serving those who have given so much to us and who continue to play an important role in the fabric of Lakewood. This event also ties into more recent programming we’ve developed like our Lakewood Fire Department’s Neighborhood Paramedic program, which has a major focus on making sure seniors are safe in their homes and avoid falls and other common hazards people face later in life.

I also want to highlight that the City’ s work on Active Aging Week is grounded in partnership with many others, and it is always a community-wide effort to support seniors in Lakewood. Barton Center, Lakewood City Schools and the Recreation Department, Lakewood Alive, Lakewood Library, the Lakewood Ministerial Association, and the Lakewood YMCA are all key players in our Active Aging Week programming. Lakewood is fortunate to have a deep well of people involved in this important work.

If you or someone you know is interested in more information on our Active Aging Week programing, you can call 216-521-1515 or visit: https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/active-aging-week/. I hope to see many of you taking advantage, especially at the Community Day in Lakewood Park.