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Room to Grow: GeroFit Expands Flagship Program

Melissa Hodges (right), a Registered Nurse and Whole Coordinator with Kanas City VA Health Care System chats with U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, Edward Brown as he conducts muscle resistance training during the DVAHCS GeroFit “train-the-trainer” event.
Melissa Hodges (right), a Registered Nurse and Whole Coordinator with Kanas City VA Health Care System chats with U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, Edward Brown as he conducts muscle resistance training during the DVAHCS GeroFit “train-the-trainer” event. Started at the DVAHCS to help and encourage older Veterans to stay active, GeroFit has since expanded to over 31 VA Health Care Systems across the Nation.
By Joshua Edson, Public Affairs Specialist

On Tuesday, June 28, 2023, representatives from eight VA health care systems joined Durham VA Health Care Innovators and Veteran participants at the Millennium Sports Club in Durham, North Carolina, for an inaugural event.

Durham VA Health Care System (DVAHCS) welcomed its newest GeroFit Flagship members as the program expands into other VA health care systems across the country. 

“We have about 20 visitors from several VISNs joining us,” said Megan Pearson, a DVAHCS Administrator and GeroFit Program Manager. “They’ve been through six-months of intensive virtual training and now they’re learning how to coordinate an actual GeroFit session onsite.”

GeroFit is an exercise program that promotes health & wellness for Veterans 65 and older. From its humble beginnings at the DVAHCS in 1986 as part a renewed emphasis on elderly Veterans, the program has since expanded to 31 VA facilities across the country.

“We really started to expand the program back in 2013 with four VA facilities signing on,” Pearson said. “Since then, we’ve grown exponentially and we’re getting close to our short-term goal of having a GeroFit Flagship program in at least one facility in all of the VA’s 18 VISNs.”

The GeroFit program emphasizes group strength and aerobic exercises. This was the case with Tuesday’s event, where the soon-to-be trainers were paired with local Veteran participants. The pairings were to help trainers get a feel of how the program works in a non-virtual setting. The lively atmosphere also allowed for the new trainers to quickly bond with the Veterans. Oftentimes, the Veterans took the lead as they explained their experiences with the program.

“I’m totally in love [with the program],” said Melissa Hodges, a Registered Nurse, Diabetes Specialist, and Whole Health Coordinator at the Kansas City VA Health Care System. “It’s hard not to be completely in. It’s heartwarming to see the Veterans so engaged and empowered with their health care.”

Sadly, one of the byproducts of aging is decreased physical activity with only 15% of adults over 65 reporting that they are regularly physically active. With Vietnam Era Veterans being a significant portion of the VA’s patient population, programs like GeroFit can help Veterans in their golden years live healthier and happier.

“I’ll be 80 this year and I still feel like I’m 30,” says Edward Brown, an U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran and Durham GeroFit regular. “Since I’ve started, I’ve lost weight, made new friends and I have something to be excited about every week. Today’s a good day, because not only am I doing good for myself, but I’m also doing good for other Veterans out there.”

To learn more about the GeroFit program, visit: https://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/pages/gerofit_Home.asp

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