City of Cody, Cody Senior Center, & Hands 2 Help

The City of Cody and the Cody Senior Center provide classes to the community's seniors free of charge at the Paul Stock Aquatic and Recreation Center here in Cody, Wyoming. Classes include Arthritis Foundation Water Movement Class, Water Workout Hour, and B-Fit, plus body toning, seniorsize, and chi gong.

This is a great benefit to the seniors who live here. They get to take these classes for free and, as the Activity Theory in our text suggests, staying active into older age is a key way to prolong life and increase overall happiness. Staying active helps us age in many ways. It increases strength, mobility, and mood, and decreases the pain of arthritis.

Another local agency that provides service to Cody's seniors is Hands 2 Help. Hands 2 Help provides in-home care for seniors who are not ready to, or refuse to in some cases, live in a nursing home. Their philosophy is "to assist and empower clients and their families to develop strategies which will maintain or improve social, cognitive or physical functioning while in the safety of their own home". Hands 2 Help is licensed by the Wyoming State Department of Health, and are members of the Cody Chamber of Commerce and Wyoming Healthcare Alliance to name a few. They provide services including housework, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and changing bed linens. They also provide nursing services including occupational and physical therapy, nurse aides, bathing and dressing. Their website also offers home safety information, such as carbon monoxide, fire prevention, and fall safety.

I think this is a good resource for seniors in our community who want to hold on to some of their independence, but are in need of care on a regular basis. This also eases the worry of those who would have to care for them and takes away some of the responsibilities that they might have otherwise, like grocery shopping and preparing meals.

For more information, you can visit their website - Hands 2 Help.