27th Annual West Virginia Geri Olympics

The 27th Annual West Virginia Geri Olympics that will be held on Friday April 25, 2014 at the South Charleston Community Center is anticipated to attract 25 care homes and 200 resident athletes from across the state of West Virginia who come prepared to compete for the gold. The event is assisted by 200 volunteers from Marshall University Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, West Virginia University, West Virginia State University and a variety of community agencies.

 

Wellness and active living have long been recognized as an important part of the human experience, and an important component of healthy living and the quality of life. This isn’t reserved for children, youth or even young adults, but can and should be experienced across the entire life span. To this end, the West Virginia Geri Olympics promotes wellness, active living and quality of life through adapted competitive sports.

 

Geri Olympics focuses on building supportive relationships among all the participants as the competition unfolds. The term nursing home resident athlete would seem to be a misnomer until one witnesses the athletes who come to Geri Olympics as part of a team that has trained, prepared and is excited to “win the gold”. Most of the athletes along with their teams have been training and practicing for several months, and enjoy being part of a team that shares the common goal of representing their nursing care facility. In addition children and youth are present to add a valued intergenerational component to the program. The athletic events show that active living can be achieved at any age. Wellness, active living and quality of life are the benefits of competing in Geri Olympics!

 

Geri Olympics also helps reduce non-medical issues such as loneliness, hopelessness and boredom for participants. While these are not life threatening issues, no one doubts the effect of positive living and energy and the contribution it makes to the sense of well-being felt by residents who continue to be active. The philosophy of the West Virginia Geri Olympics is that you do not go into to nursing homes to die, but to live and to be as active as possible.

 

 West Virginia Geri Olympics has received global recognition and attention, and is being used as a model for similar events in other states and around the world, with partners in the Czech Republic, Scotland and Canada. The program was featured in an invited symposium at the World Conference on Active Living in Glasgow Scotland in August 2012, and other presentations have been made in Prague, Valencia, Spain and beyond. 

 

Dr. Dawn Skelton and Bob Laventure from Glasgow, Scotland will be attending the West Virginia Geri Olympics for the second year in a row, and will be presenting a symposia at Marshall University on Fall Prevention and Active Living at Marshall University on Wednesday April 23 that will be attended by doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who will utilize information provided in their services to clients and patients.

 

Geri Olympics events feature Bowling, Horseshoes, Basketball Shooting, Maze for improvibg pulmonary function, Clothes Pin Stacking, Corn Hole, Golf Putting, Obstacle Course, Wheelchair Races, Wheelchair Relays, and Marksmanship. Facilities who have attended in the past are familiar with each event, and some like to include training for the Geri Olympics in their daily activity program. New facilities are encouraged to call the number listed below for specific ideas on how they can include Geri Olympics training as a part of their daily activity program roster. Most of the events have been designed in cooperation with care home residents and the professionals who serve them, including physical, occupational and recreational therapists. The therapeutic benefits from including Geri Olympics training as a part of daily activities go beyond simply promoting a healthier and more active lifestyle, to impacting quality of life.

 

This year we are pleased to welcome two new cooperating sponsors of the West Virginia Geri Olympics: the Marshall University Schools of Pharmacy and the Marshall University School of Medicine. They will join other sponsors that include: the Bureau of Senior Services, Charleston and Central West Virginia Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of South Charleston, Step by Step, and Mylan Pharmaceutical.    Sponsors and their support have enabled the 27 years of continuous operation of the program and service to the residents and professionals who serve them.  We thank them for their support.

 

Dr. Muilenburg the founder and director of Geri Olympics will retire after 27 years of service at West Virginia State University. In retirement he will work with the new Institute for Geri Olympics and Active Living and board of directors who will guide and shape the future of the West Virginia Geri Olympics Programs. New partnerships and cooperative agreements will help create additional funding streams and projects of interest to the people and seniors in West Virginia.