Wendy J. Meyeroff
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

“Health and wellness, plus maintaining independence, top the residents’ priorities, so I’m not surprised people responded to VIVA! It’s a very self-empowering program,” says Tony Galvan, VIVA! program manager at Monarch Landing, an Erickson community in Naperville, Ill.

VIVA! rolled out in late September at Monarch Landing. In less than a month, a third of residents signed up for this program, which stresses aging successfully.

What makes VIVA! special?
“VIVA! is a complete wellness assessment program. We identify ways to improve your total well-being by evaluating your physical, mental, and emotional status, then we offer specific ideas for improvement,” Galvan says.

Convenience encourages participation. “The fact that we’re part of the entire community makes it easier for people to get started.  Residents pass by daily, which draws them in,” he says. “Perhaps most convenient is the fact that the program’s ‘all-in-one’ health assessment is appealing to our residents; they’re busy people with lots to do here.”

The steps you take… literally
Assessments take place in two, one-hour sessions. “During the first, we focus on psychological health, plus do basic physical checks, like blood pressure and  bone density tests,” Galvan says.

“We also give you a ‘step-watch’ to wear for several days to measure how much walking you do,” he says. “It’s a great conversation starter. Other people see it and ask about it.” 

Approximately four days later is the follow-up. “We evaluate your step-watch and other test results, which have been loaded into the computer. Plus we do a balance test,” he says. Balance often isn’t as good as people think, causing many of the fall-related fractures 1.6 million adults age 65-plus experience annually.