PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook Agency on Aging on Feb. 5 joined two partners to finalize Healthy Living for ME as a joint venture, with representatives from all three organizations signing papers at Bernstein Shur in Augusta.
Spectrum Generations, with several locations in southern Maine, and SeniorsPlus of Lewiston joined the local agency in solidifying the partnership.
Healthy Living for ME currently provides a single-point of entry to a statewide network of workshops that empower adults to address and better manage their health issues. Available workshops focus on improving balance and preventing falls, and helping adults manage chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic pain, heart disease, COPD, arthritis and diabetes.
Joy Barresi-Saucier, executive director of Aroostook Agency on Aging, said, “People from all areas of the state, both rural and urban, want and need access to programs that help them live longer and remain independent. Healthy Living for ME is an innovative network that, for the first time, will make the best wellness programs consistently available to all Mainers regardless of where they live.”
Betsy Sawyer-Manter, president and CEO of SeniorsPlus, spoke about the efficacy and importance of offering such workshops.
“Evidence-based programs are proven effective. These are rigorously tested to ensure that they have the intended positive impact for those completing the workshops,” she said. “They are both a preventative and health improvement strategy.”
Spectrum Generations’ president and CEO, Gerard Queally, said, “We have worked diligently and in earnest with our partners SeniorsPlus and Aroostook Agency on Aging to make this come to fruition. We all see the benefit of delivering these programs in order to keep older Mainers safe, healthy, and aging in place, and our partnership is a testament to what community-based organizations can do jointly to improve healthcare in our state.”
A full listing of workshops is online at www.healthylivingforme.org or call 1 (800) 620-6036 for more information.
