Serving Our Seniors Magazine: April - June 2026

If you are age 60 or better, it is highly likely you were raised to believe you do what the doctor says. It was a one-way relationship. The patient didn’t question the diagnosis nor the treatment. The doctor was the be-all and end-all of your health care. He/she (most often a “he”) was the one who saw you in their office and was the one who cared for you in the hospital. Today, the role of primary care is a partnership. If older adults don’t understand the role of their primary health care provider, this puts them at a disadvantage if they are going to maintain their health and ability to function independently as they grow older. On Thursday, June 11, 2026, 1:30 pm – 3 pm, Serving Our Seniors is holding a forum, titled, The Role of Primary Health Care and How It Works. The discussion will include the modern role of a Primary Care Provider (PCP), how to prepare for PCP appointments, the role of an MD / DO vs NP / PA, getting the most value out of each PCP appointment, what can I do to help my doctor help me? and much more. RSVPs of 30 or more are required. See the Calendar of Events (pg 5) for details on how to reserve your seat. The Role of Primary Care: How It Works After age 65, you are more likely to fall with each passing year. Our bodies change as we get older. These changes make it harder to keep our center of gravity steady. Nerves that send signals to our brain slow down. This means our muscles react more slowly when we trip or stumble. As people sense changes in their stability, they tend to move less and sit or recline more. This causes older people to lose muscle strength faster. This is why staying active, in later life, is so important. If you do not work on maintaining and improving your leg strength and your balance, this will increase the likelihood of taking a tumble and breaking an arm, leg or a hip. The good news is your balance can be improved at any age, with the Matter of Balance Course! Dr. Marsha Cooper, Carolyn Hauenstein and Rebecca Jones are certified to lead these classes and will be offered as follows: April 14 – June 2, 2026, 10 am – 12 pm each Tuesday for 8 weeks at the Vermilion Ritter Library, Community Room A – Vermilion. July 7 – July 30, 2026, 3 pm – 5 pm each Tuesday & Thursday for 4 weeks at Firelands Health, 1111 Hayes Ave. – Sandusky July 7 – July 30, 2026, 3 pm – 5 pm each Tuesday & Thursday for 4 weeks at Milan Public Library, 19 Church Street – Milan. To register call Serving Our Seniors 419-624-1856. Near perfect attendance is required. If fewer than eight (8) participants show up for class, the class will be cancelled. Classes are limited to 12 participants age 60 or older. Matter of Balance Course Does Improve Your Balance Dr. Marsha Cooper Dr. Mitchell Rice Lisa Miller, DPN Carol Hauenstein Rebecca Jones 21