Article by Karen Goff, Neighborhood and Community Services
(Posted 2024 September)
Transportation. Illness. Weather. Mobility.
These are some of the common barriers to participating in on-site senior programming. Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services’ Virtual Center for Active Adults (VCAA) has the solution.
NCS revamped the VCAA – a free, online platform – in 2022, partnering with local jurisdictions and agencies for a wider reach in bringing high-level, engaging programming to older adults. The partners share the goal that recreational programs, especially for more vulnerable populations, should not be limited by geography or other barriers to participation.
Everyone is welcome – either from their own electronic device or to stream with others at one of 14 NCS Senior Centers. VCAA also offers a library of more than 25 on-demand content, making classes and programs even more convenient.
“NCS is very proud of the partnerships and expansion of the VCAA since 2022,” said NCS Division Director Chris Scales. “We heard from so many senior center participants, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, that they would enjoy the option of streaming content. It is growing in popularity among seniors who want to stay active and connected with their peers, whether they are on an extended vacation, recovering from an illness or just want to easily learn or stay fit on their own schedule.”
VCAA partners have listened to community input to curate a monthly schedule with something for everyone. Some of the most popular courses include virtual travel, exercise (including stretching, yoga and Tai Chi), foreign language classes, cooking, trivia time, music appreciation and tech skills.
Here is what some participants had to say on recent feedback surveys:
- Attending virtual classes has made me more active, and I look forward to taking the classes and hearing lectures on different topics.
- I loved learning new words and practicing words I already knew in Spanish and German classes.
- I really appreciate that the county is providing so many activities for seniors and the disabled.
- You are keeping me alive. As I cannot go in person to my old Wakefield Senior Center, I would have withered at home as nerve pain makes it hard to move.
- Having live instructors for virtual classes motivates me, even though I do exercises lying on the sofa! Love it when I can ask questions, or they ask us questions; almost as good as being there!
- Interaction with live people keeps me from being lonely in a wheelchair.
Please visit the NCS VCAA page at bit.ly/novaVCAA to learn more and find programming that matches your interests. We hope to see you online soon!
Thank you to VCAA community partners: ServiceSource Inc., Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging, Fairfax County Health Department, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, Fairfax County Public Library, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development, Fairfax County Park Authority, InSight Memory Care Center, AARP, Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, ArtsFairfax, The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University, The Center for the Arts at George Mason University, Friends of Fairfax County Senior Centers, Northern Virginia Falls Prevention Alliance, Quarantine Music Busters, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, McLean Community Center, Reston Community Center, Three and a Half Acres Yoga, Fairfax County Animal Shelter.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).