FULTON, NY – Area seniors attending Oswego County Opportunities’ Senior Dining and Activity Sites will be in for a real treat as they will be able to begin enjoying the benefits of the many activities and games available through the Nintendo Wii System.
Program services coordinator for OCO’s Senior Services Division Trinity Engle announced that thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous donor she was able to purchase Nintendo Wii systems for each of OCO’s eight senior dining and activity sites.
The entertaining, low-impact activities and games that are available through the system have been praised for their ability to provide seniors with a more active social life as well as valuable exercise for both their bodies and their minds.
Designed as an innovative, next generation video game, the system has gained an unexpected audience as those who work with seniors realized that the game offered seniors who were no longer able to remain active in sports the opportunity to once again play and compete in the games that they loved.
Wii systems are helping to keep seniors active and are becoming a popular item at senior sites and retirement settings throughout the country.
“We are thrilled to be able to have the Wii system available in our senior dining and activity sites,†said Engle. “We did have a Wii system at our Constantia site and we were receiving plenty of positive feedback from both our seniors and site manager, Deirdre McCarthy. The seniors loved the games and activities and were lining up for their chance to play. Now, thanks to this generous donation from an anonymous donor, we have Wii systems at all of our sites and the seniors are truly enjoying them.â€Â
Aging services administrator Larry Schmidt with the Oswego County Office for the Aging echoed Engle’s praise of the system.
“The addition of the Wii systems will give seniors a new way to stay healthy and exercise by using the game system. OCO’s senior dining and activity centers are a major part of the senior nutrition program. They play a vital role in keeping seniors not only well fed but also healthier, and just as important, connected to their communities in a positive way. These dining centers offer much more than simply a meal. By including social, nutritional and educational programs these sites benefit seniors on an ongoing basis. For many seniors these sites are the main way they are able to interact with their fellow seniors in their communities. The addition of the Wii systems provides seniors with another reason to attend the site closets to them,†added Schmidt.
OCO’s Senior Services Division administers several senior dining and activity sites where seniors can enjoy a hot, nutritious noontime meal, visit with friends, and participate in a number of activities.
These sites are located in Fulton, Pulaski, Oswego, Mexico, Hannibal, Parish, Phoenix and Constantia.
For more information, call Engle at 598-4712.
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