Staying active and engaged is crucial to aging in a healthy way.

“There is just too much research proving the benefits of being active,” commented Ellen Sims, Director of Wellness at Scotia Village. “My advice is to get out there, do something and have fun.”

Scotia Village is dedicated to encouraging its residents to be as active as they can be.

“Being active and overall wellness is a big part of our program and we spend a lot of time educating and motivating our residents to become involved in their own health and well-being,” said Clarell Litchford, Executive Director of Scotia Village. To this end Scotia Village observed Active Aging Week which was September 21-25. The week was marked by daily activities focusing on different aspects of the Scotia Village wellness program, enCompass.

Scotia Village believes that being healthy is about more than physical strength or lack of disease. Total wellness involves a variety of principles that, when combined, result in a fuller, happier life. enCompass brings together all of the components necessary to health and wellness for maturing adults. It is a complete wellness strategy covering eight dimensions and is available to all residents of Scotia Village. These dimensions are: Social, intellectual, physical, spiritual, safety, nutrition, environmental, and community outreach.

enCompass in under the direction of Scotia Village’s full-time wellness director, Ellen Sims. She takes into consideration a resident’s specific needs, individual interests and personal goals. She then charts a customized plan for improving health and wellness. That plan is monitored through regular consultations and adjustments are made as needed.

Active Aging Week served as perfect venue to highlight these different dimensions. Each day of the week residents could participate in different programs and activities. Some of the week’s opportunities included: Yoga, line dancing, fitness testing, and self defense. A Wellness Fair was held on Thursday and featured many exhibits and demonstrations regarding healthy aging.

Adam Melton, Associate Director of Scotia Village observes that, “the people we see who stay active, both physically and mentally, are the ones who seem to go through the aging process in a much healthier way.”