Active Aging Week is a week-long celebration of aging and healthy lifestyles that takes place around October 1, the International Day of Older Persons. The purpose of the week is to showcase the abilities of older adults and their valuable contributions to society while also emphasizing these role models who lead the way. The overarching goal of Active Aging Week is to challenge society’s negative perceptions of aging by demonstrating that individuals over 50 thrive in all aspects of life, including physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, vocational, and environmental domains, regardless of age or health. The week aims to provide older adults with safe and fun wellness and educational opportunities to boost their physical and mental health.

Each year in Champaign-Urbana, the Champaign and Urbana Park Districts organize a program of scheduled local events to provide these activities to the community. This year, Active Aging Week ran from September 30-October 6 and the Annual Open House at the McKechnie Family LIFE Home was on the schedule.

The Open House was held on Wednesday, October 2 from 2:00-5:00 PM. The event was attended by many community member including older adults. One participant commented that he always wanted to visit the LIFE Home, and Active Aging week brought this opportunity to his attention. Many collaborative initiatives between guests and the hosts were ignited.

Guests explored the cutting-edge research happening at the facility. Visitors engaged with researchers, robots, and the latest technologies. Faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduates showcased their research through live demonstrations. Guests were offered insights into a wide range of ongoing projects, as well as the technologies that are becoming common in today’s homes. Carrie Wennerdahl (CHART Coordinator) presented a poster about our Age-Friendly University initiative.

Everyone who commented on the event said they had a wonderful time and learned a lot. We are looking towards the next Active Aging Week to bring more active community members to the McKechnie Family LIFE Home and to introduce them to CHART activities.

Pictured left to right: Jim McKechnie, Karen McKechnie, Peggy Huson, and Chris Huson