Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging

March/April 2024

In This Issue:

>Age Well: Dimensions of Wellness

>Spring Cleaning and Home Safety

>Diabetes Alert Day

>Age Well Series

>Featured Program: Walk with Ease

>Find a Workshop

Age Well: Dimensions of Wellness

We all want to age well. To be free of chronic diseases and sicknesses. To feel strong and independent. But what does it take to get there? 

Wellness is an all-encompassing term. Individual health may be broken up into different categories, known as the 8 Dimensions of Wellness. To age well, it is important to pay attention to each dimension. No dimension needs to have perfect health, but if one dimension is severely lacking, that can have a big effect on our health. It is best to pay attention to each dimension as we age.

Read more about how to age well through the 8 Dimensions of Wellness on our Age Well page.

Spring Cleaning and Home Safety

Research shows that most falls happen at home. Is spring cleaning on your to-do list? Take some time this spring to de-clutter and make your home safer to prevent falls. On top of everyday items like dirty laundry or mail, over the years things can pile up! It’s important to keep walkways, staircases, and other areas where you walk tidy. Here are a few ideas to help get you started: 

• Make it fun! Put on your favorite music or radio show as you clean. 
• Develop a filing system so that you can keep important documents in one place and off counters and floors. 
• Don’t do it all at once. Set aside 15 minutes each day to de-clutter in different areas. Start with clutter on the floors or staircases, as you may be more likely to catch your feet and trip in these areas.  
• Make it a habit to take a minute or two to clean up as you go instead of waiting for things to pile up.  

Use our Cleaning Tool to help you reduce clutter and stay organized. 

>Read More

Diabetes Alert Day

The fourth Tuesday in March has been designated as Diabetes Alert Day. The American Diabetes Association created Diabetes Alert Day as a “wake-up call” to remind people about diabetes and inform them about the serious health issues it can cause. People with diabetes are at a greater risk of other health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and other serious complications like kidney failure and vision loss. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 406,445 Wisconsin residents have been diagnosed with diabetes.  

>Read More

Age Well Series

New in 2024: WIHA's AgeWell Series! Designed to bring healthy aging education to you! The series will be offered at various locations across the state and/or offered virtually.

Our first presentation will be virtual! Check out the flyer here (click to enlarge)

Find a Workshop

Take charge of your health by taking a WIHA workshop. We offer in-person and virtual (online or by phone) programs that give you the tools to age well. Getting started is easy – simply click the link below.

Featured Program: Walk with Ease

Research: Walk with Ease is researched and shown to reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis, increase balance, strength, and walking pace, build confidence in your ability to be physically active, and improve overall health. 

Who is it for: Walk with Ease is designed for any adult who has arthritis and wants to reduce pain, and/or those who want to be more physically active.

>Read More

Make a gift to WIHA today!

We’re aging. All of us. And it’s up to each of us to take good care of ourselves and our health as we age. That’s where we come in. We’re here to help people help themselves to better health. But we can’t do it alone! As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we operate on grants and contributions from generous donors and partners. Your support is vital to us as we administer programs and promote practices that encourage good health. With your donation we can serve older adults in the best possible way to increase the quality of their lives. We thank you so much for being a part of our network!