On October 3, 2018, residents gathered at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) Westlawn Gardens development to complete the first-ever urban pilot of the Aging Mastery Program®.

Developed by the National Council on Aging, the program is a five-week, ten-course health and wellness program for residents 55 years and older. The goal of the Aging Mastering Program® is to empower older adults to make and maintain small, but impactful changes. The classes explore navigating longer lives, physical activity, sleep, healthy eating and hydration, financial fitness, medication management, advanced planning, healthy relationships, fall prevention, and community engagement.

Thanks to the generous support of Bader Philanthropies, the Milwaukee Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) selected three community-based, urban sites to pilot the program, including HACM’s Westlawn Gardens and Riverview developments. MAHEC is also delivering the program at Cross Lutheran Church.

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For each of the classes, MAHEC worked with community partners to share basic educational materials developed from highly trusted sources, a checklist of potential next steps, and a system for rewarding attendance and participation via incentives. MAHEC’s partners for this innovative wellness program include Froedtert Hospital, UnitedHealthCare, Sleep Well Institute, YMCA of Metro Milwaukee, Growing Power, Westlawn Resident Council, Choice Neighborhood Initiative, and HACM.

“I would definitely recommend this program to others. It’s very enlightening and makes you think about things you may not have thought about,” said program participant Joan Ward.

When asked what part of the program she found most valuable Rosemary Jackson said, “It was my health and how I was eating and how every day is important on what I put inside my body. I learned a lot from that.”

“The purpose of the Aging Mastering Program® is not about your ‘yesterdays’ or even about your ‘todays’, this program is about making better ‘tomorrows,’” said program coordinator Harvey Padek.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please call Milwaukee Area Health Education Center at (414) 344-0675.

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About the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)
Founded in 1944, HACM provides high-quality affordable housing options to over 10,000 households in Milwaukee. HACM’s award-winning programs foster strong and inclusive communities that support self-sufficiency, good quality of life and the opportunity to thrive. Learn more at www.hacm.org.