Older Adult Wellness Center Gets Visit From Fairfax County Supervisor

FAIRFAX, VA — Six months after cutting the ribbon at the Wellness Center for Older Adults, Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw returned to the center on Tuesday to visit with its participants and the community group members who conduct programming at the center.

The Wellness Center for Older Adults, located on the Braddock Glen campus in the Braddock District, is a first of its kind center in Fairfax County, offering programs, virtual and in-person services and other resources for people over 50 and adults with disabilities in the county.

The center provides hands-on services for adults like preventative health screenings as well as programming similar to what is offered at the 14 senior centers in Fairfax County that focus on hobbies, fitness goals and special interests like art, music and technology.

One of the goals of the center is to catch health and wellness issues in older adults before they become more serious.

At its ribbon-cutting in May, county officials emphasized how the wellness center will help older residents manage the stresses of social isolation. Nearly 3 million Virginians are 50 or older and 22 percent of adults in the state have a disability, according to government data.

In Fairfax County, 26.8 percent of residents were 55 or older in 2020, a percentage that is expected to climb above 28 percent by 2030.

"We're so fortunate here in the Braddock District to have it in our home, in our backyard — but this is a center to serve all of Fairfax County," Walkinshaw said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in May. "The statement we're making today is there is no better place in the country to age in place than the Braddock District in Fairfax County."

On Tuesday, Walkinshaw, who represents the Braddock District on the county board, got to see up close how residents are benefiting from the new center six months later.

“Social isolation is one of the biggest challenges facing seniors today,” Walkinshaw said in a statement. “The programs at the WCOA provide opportunities for connection, learning, and wellness to ensure that our older adults can thrive and grow.”

During his visit, Walkinshaw toured the center and observed a technology class conducted by representatives from AARP's Senior Planet, a program started by AARP to help older adults learn new skills and stay engaged with their communities.

ServiceSource, a nonprofit group that provides services to people with disabilities, is partnering with Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services to manage the new center. The nonprofit group has developed a Long-Term Community Integration Services program that it is putting into action at the Wellness Center for Older Adults and nine other facilities across Northern Virginia.

The center, at 4027B Olley Lane in Fairfax County, aims to be the place for the neighbor down the street to take advantage of the programs and facilities as well as aging adults with disabilities who may prefer the comfortable pace of the programs at the wellness center.