We Can

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

San Bernardino County’s Department of Aging and Adult Services serves the largest geographical counties in the contiguous United States. One of the missions of DAAS is to provide programs and support for the healthy aging of seniors, expected to represent 18% of Californians by the year 2030. To further this mission, DAAS launched the We Can program. We Can promotes physical activities, incorporating an innovative “entertainment” method, which merges the Nintendo Wii system of entertainment with structured exercise activities and nutrition information at senior centers throughout the county. DAAS provided 36 Wii systems to senior citizens throughout the County of San Bernardino and developed the We Can program, incorporating nutrition counseling from the County’s Department of Public Health with an interactive exercise program developed by XRtainment Zone. We Can promotes physical activity, nutrition education, and socialization among the county’s senior citizen population. We Can is a six-week program that involves strength building exercises and sports, in a virtual environment, and tracks improvement in fitness measurements of participants. We Can increases motivation, participation, physical activity, and social vitality among the senior population of San Bernardino County.