Meadowlark Hills will host a Community Wellness Fair on Thursday, Sept. 27. This event is open to all Meadowlark Hills residents and staff, as well as the Manhattan community. Attendees are welcome to visit the fair any time between 1 and 4:30 p.m. Businesses and service providers related to wellness from Meadowlark Hills campus and the surrounding community will gather to educate and raise awareness in the community about healthy aging and making healthy choices.

As residents, you will be familiar with many of the services and faces at the fair. The Meadowlark Hills Therapy Department will have a booth and be available to talk about the types of therapy they offer (physical, occupational and speech). They will share how their services may be beneficial and how to gain access to them. Our campus dietician, Lisa Schwarz, will have a booth featuring healthy foods and portions. In an effort to provide more services to Independent Living, Lisa will ask for feedback from residents about what topics they would like to know more about related to nutrition. Be sure to stop by!

The Community Wellness Fair will also host wonderful resources from the larger Manhattan community such as Manhattan Family Chiropractic, University For Man (UFM), and the Senior Adult Program at Mercy Regional Hospital. Each booth will have information about what their organization offers and have representatives available to answer questions or discuss how their services may help you in your life.              

Dr. Joe Schlageck will have a special booth at the main entrance of the fair where he will be available to visit with attendees and to share information about the Circle of Wellness. The Circle of Wellness is made up of 10 pillars of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, environment, social, financial, intellectual, stewardship, occupational and cultural. Rather than equating how well you are with whether or not you are fit or have an illness, this model communicates the importance of all parts of life—relationships with family and friends, if you find meaning in life, the impact of stressors such as finances, or being a caregiver for others.

I will have a booth at the fair as your Wellness Guide. Unfortunately, I will be away on the Meadowlark Hills trip to Kentucky and will not be present for the fair. Kay Shanks and Cam Beatty, two Independent Living residents, will help distribute printed information and answer questions in my absence.

My role as Wellness Guide is to work with residents of Meadowlark Hills to find and contact resources to address individual needs. The Wellness Fair will be a fun, social, interactive way to learn more about resources to support your wellness and a time to consider what things you need to continue to be well as you age.