N. SHORE KEEP WELL PROGRAM Drop-ins offer resources for seniors HELPING SENIORS see their cup as half full, not half empty, is one of the main goals of the North Shore Keep SHOULDER MASSAGES are only one of the treats in store for older adults at the Thursday morning Keep- Well drop-in at the West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre — nutrition counselling, blood pressure tests, reflexology, guest speakers and a hot lunch are also offered. Here, Margaret MacLeod, left, and friend Mariel ' Friesen enjoy their time together. HELEN HAD been driving a car for almost 50 years and the biggest surprise she got as her 80th birthday approached was a letter from the Motor Vehicle Inspection Branch, asking her to get a medical. She told her story to a legal in- formation counsellor at the North Shore Information and Volunteer Centre. She mentioned how upset she was at having to get a medical. She has been at the wheel of a lot of cars and driven many miles in her lifetime and is still on the go. enough staff or facilities to call up everyone for testing. However, the superintendent of Motor Vehicles in Victoria has a right to call you up if he has received a_ police report on your driving, or a medi- cal report. A spokesperson says that the test following the medical is a road test ON THE SENIORS’ SCENE NORTH SHORE INFORMATION AND VOLUNTEER CENTRE } Mainly because she has difficul- ty walking, she needs the car to get around to do her shopping and visit her friends. If her doctor found something in her medical which might prevent her from driving, it sould be devastating. For Helen it all worked out well. She passed the medical but for others it might not be so simple. A representative of. the Motor Vehicle office says random testing can start at any age, particularly if bad driving records start showing up. But, sometimes with seniors, their family or doctor may ask that their licences be lifted for medical reasons or for erratic driving skills. Also, random testing is done on ~ 7S year olds, not necessarily because of complaints. If you are age 75, still driving and have not been notified, it could merely mcap that you were lucky on the “draw.” . “ The department does -not have and an eye check, not a written test. Numerous persons have vision problems and it’s been found that seniors do not have their glasses checked as often as they should. ‘One man cited had the same glasses for 30 years. An eye check, a new prescription for glasses, and that individual got his licence renewed. Seniors get a break on the cost of renewing their licence -—~- $10 for the five-year period. All Motor: Vehicle offices are listed in the blue pages of the phone book, and are cpen Monday ‘ to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You are advised, if you don’t want to wait in a long line, not to go on a Monday or a Friday, but midweek and as early in the day as possible. Everyone has to get a driver's licence renewed once every five years, on their birthday. So the _ [Licence may require medical advice is: don’t forget to check your licence for the next birthday up coming which means a new licence, It is easy to forget. Insuring cars for seniors is in a different department. it is con- troiled by the Insurance Corpora- tion of British Columbia, more See Insurance Page 14 He popped the question ........ You tied the knot ........ It’s a boy ........ Married 25 years ........ She graduated ........ Well program. So says volunteer Varick Ernst, who was giving shoulder massages at a recent Thursday morning Keep Well drop-in at the West Van- couver Seniors’ Activity Centre. Shoulder and hand massages were just two of the activities open to participants during the “thands-on’*® portion of the drop- in. At tables around the room, other seniors received nutrition counselling, had their blood pressure checked, took off their shoes for a reflexology session, discussed the new income tax forms, asked advice of the public health nurse in attendance and talked to a general wellness counsellor if they needed help with a particular problem. The drop-ins are free to anyone 55 or over. Funded by a federal New Horizons grant, they are run by a host of volunteers — many of them seniors themselves — and overseen by the one paid staff member, coordinator Lynne Cove. The drop-in at the West Van- couver centre is one of three drop-~ ins that take place weekly across the North Shore. Others meet at Silver Harbour Centre and North Shore Neighbourhood House, both in North Vancouver. Each location, however, has a unique Keep-Well program. In West Vancouver, each Thursday starts with mild exercises from 9 to 9:45 a.m. These are followed by a period of relaxation, which runs until 10:30. From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the hands-on activities are offered. On the last Thursday of each month, a hot lunch and guest speaker keep everyone busy until 1:15 p.m. Guest speakers, said Ernst, are usualiy fairly high-profile per- sonalities who provide ‘‘good role models’® for seniors. On May 25, Eleanor Godley, North Shore author and teacher, will speak on “‘Embracing Your Later Years.”’ Older adults are also encouraged to become volunteers in the pro- gram. For some, such as retired occupational therapist Joan Bernd and retired nutritionist Shirley English, it is a chance to utilize the skills they have honed during tbeir working years. For others, it is simply an enjoyable opportunity to help out while meeting new friends. “I've had a number of people walk in and say their whole life has changed because of the program,”’ attested Bernd. . Twenty-four-hour notice is re- quired if seniors wish to stay for the lunch on the last Thursday, but otherwise people are welcome to drop in at any point during the morning. ; For more information on the West Van Keep Well program, or to reserve a plate for lunch, cail 926-4375. . For information on the Wed- nesday morning program at Silver Harbour Centre, call 980-2474; for an update on the North Shore Neighbourhood House Monday morning drop-in, the nurnber is 987-8138. : You're having a spring tea ........ It’s a block party ........ He did a good deed ........ Starting a new club ...... Everyone. should know ........ Whether it’s your engagement, wedding, birth of a baby, anniversary, reunion or any special occasion, make sure that everyone knows your exciting news. 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