REAL Services is dedicated to helping elderly and low-income people become and stay independent for life. If you or someone you love needs help, call REAL Services at 574-233-8205.
By: REAL Services + Home Comfort Experts
Kati Rudin’s desire to work with the older population came from someone close to her — her grandma.
About two years ago, Rudin was one of her grandma’s caretakers. She saw the challenges her grandma had with consuming enough calories and staying hydrated throughout the day.
“I found it really rewarding to help her to make sure she was meeting all their nutritional needs,” Rudin says. “And she’s since passed away, but I find it very rewarding to be able to continue to give back to her same generation.”
Rudin, a registered dietitian with a Master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition, is the Health and Nutrition Education Manager at REAL Services, which provides programs and services that promote nutrition, self-sufficiency, education, and protection for adults and seniors across northern Indiana.
All of the health and nutrition programs offered by REAL Services are free and open to community-dwelling adults over age 60 in Kosciusko, Marshall, St. Joseph, LaPorte, and Elkhart counties.
“Having an awareness of the importance of nutrition and exercise can help older adults to maintain their independence, which can help them to stay in their homes longer and do the things that they really enjoy,” Rudin says.
Here’s a look at the health and nutrition programs available.
FRESH CONVERSATIONS
Fresh Conversations is a nutrition-focused program that features a different topic at each meeting.
“It’s really informal,” Rudin says. “As a group, we go over whatever the topic is and people can bring up discussion points or things that have worked for them in regard to making a positive nutrition change in light of the topic that we’re covering.”
Participants also get a nutrition-focused newsletter and a sample of a healthy recipe.
“It’s really important for seniors to be aware of nutrition and exercise recommendations to prevent malnutrition, manage some of the chronic diseases they may have, or to prevent the onset of a chronic disease, decrease in muscle mass, and decrease in mobility due to poor diet,” Rudin says.
This program meets once a month for 30 to 45 minutes for six to ten months. REAL Services also has a Meals on Wheels program that provides nutritious meals to seniors in the community.
SAIL
SAIL — Stay Active and Independent for Life — is a new fitness program being offered by REAL Services for the first time in September in partnership with the Kroc Center.
SAIL will consist of an hour of exercise that is made up of a warm-up, balance exercises, strength exercises, endurance exercises, and a cool down. This program can be done while standing or sitting. Rudin, who is a certified SAIL instructor, says fall prevention education will also be part of each workout session.
This fitness class will be offered at the Kroc Center as part of a Healthy Aging series of programming. SAIL classes will be offered two to three times a week for 12 weeks.
MATTER OF BALANCE
The Matter of Balance program focuses on prevention strategies to reduce the risk of falling and the importance of increasing activity levels. Light exercises are part of later sessions.
“When we do some of those exercises, they’re just encouraged to move more and to start seeking other forms of movement outside of the group, so maybe forming a walking group or going to a gym,” Rudin, a certified master trainer for Matter of Balance, says.
There are eight class sessions total that range from one to two hours each, with classes meeting either once a week for eight weeks or twice a week for four weeks.
WISE
WISE stands for the Wellness Initiative for Senior Education.
“It’s focused on activities and discussion to better understand the aging process and how lifestyle choices and behaviors impact health,” Rudin says. “So there’s a variety of topics that we go over in that class.”
Rudin says throughout the health and nutrition programming that REAL Services offers, the information may not be new to participants, but the goal is to increase awareness.
“They might learn some new tips or tricks, or they might just recognize a renewed importance for nutrition or exercise,” Rudin says. “Sometimes I’ll hear that the classes have increased their motivation to exercise or have just created more of an awareness to start looking at the nutrition facts label or thinking about what’s in their food.”
The WISE program consists of five hour-and-a-half to two-hour sessions. Participants who complete the entire program are eligible for a gift certificate.
NUTRITION AND FALL PREVENTION PRESENTATIONS
REAL Services also hosts individual 15-minute to hour-long presentationd throughout the community about fall prevention and nutrition.
Nutrition presentations focus on different health topics like diabetes, heart health, and eating healthy on a budget.
Fall prevention presentations cover topics like fall hazards in the home, such as rugs that tend to bunch up, and ways to decrease risks Rudin says. For example, participants might learn about the importance of installing grab bars, having good lighting at home, and having a railing that goes on both sides of the stairs.
“There are many things that go into fall prevention,” Rudin says. “We also highlight side effects of medication, the importance of getting regular eye exams and hearing exams, and the importance of exercise and maintaining muscle strength in order to prevent falls.”
Working with the older population is something Rudin truly loves.
“They’ve got wonderful stories to share and I always want to listen to them,” she says. “And a lot of times when we have these workshops, they get to see each other routinely and they create friendships and the group bonds, and it’s really cool to see that.
If you are someone you love is interested in participating in a program focused on their health and wellness, learn more and register by calling REAL Services at 574-233-8205 or toll-free at 800-552-2916.
