BOONE, N.C. — Carrie Crayner was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019. 

What You Need To Know

  • Appalachian State now has an Aging Well support program

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield NC gave ASU money toward the program

  • The program is meant to help people understand how their body is aging

"My goal in life is to put in the back burner as long as I can, because I'm not going to die from Parkinson's. I may die from something else, but I'm not going to die from that," Crayner said.

She's at Appalachian State University to get assessed at the Aging Well support program.

"I did hurt my back, and it can be devastating because to come back with Parkinson's, it can be very hard to do," Crayner said.

She walked across a board that's full of lasers that checks her balance, leg stride and much more. It's knowledge Lizzie Muscarello is hoping to give. She is the clinic's program manager.

"Aging stinks, and truly I think the goal is to make aging easier and to make it better. We see a lot of issues as we age. I don't think people are ready for aging," Muscarello said.

She used to coach gymnastics and says looking at gait and balance and applying it is important for all ages. She says the program is free and offered to anyone 55 and up. By learning what their baseline is they can help people see what has changed every year and refer them to people who can help.

"They typically learn something about themselves they didn't realize. Their balance was off or their grip strength is pretty low for their age group," Muscarello said.