DOWAGIAC — A new program to help ease the transition into the later stages of life is coming soon to Dowagiac.

The Dowagiac Front Street Crossing location of the Cass County Council on Aging will host an Aging Mastery Program starting Tuesday. The program will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the COA Front Street Crossing. Also in Cass County, the program will take place 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays, at the Cass District Library. There is a $99 registration fee associated with the class.

The program is being put on by the Area Agency on Aging, located in St. Joseph, at many locations across southwest Michigan. The 10-week program will focus on physical, mental and financial health for people as they age. The program will also have a heavy focus on life enrichment, according to Christine Van Landingham, with the Area Agency on Aging.

“New challenges and things to master come at every stage of life,” Van Landingham said. “But after retirement, there aren’t a lot of roadmaps for that. People don’t make those preparations. What about the rest of life? We want to make sure that folks have a way to age in a masterful way and really make the most of the time we have been given.”

Kelli Casey, manager of the COA Front Street Crossing, said bringing the program to Dowagiac was “a no-brainer.”

“[The Area Agency on Aging] reached out to us about this program and we thought it was a great fit for us,” Casey said. “They were looking for a place here locally to host it and it obviously fits our criteria and the needs of our population and our customers.”

The program will coach participants on a number of topics including healthy eating, hydration, life planning and financial responsibility, Casey said. Though the program is 10 weeks long, it is structured so that people can jump in at any time and do not have to worry about missing a class, she added.

“It’s a great program for people to learn just little things that can make big impacts in their lives,” Casey said.

Though there is a $99 fee attached to the class, Casey said there are scholarships and grants people can apply for to cover the cost.

“We are really looking for participants,” she said. “We don’t want anyone feeling barred from attending, so that’s why these scholarships are available.”

Casey said she believes the program to be beneficial and would encourage anyone to participate, regardless of their age.

“I think people will get a [chance for] socialization and learn things that can help them strengthen different aspects of their life,” she said. “That is something anyone can benefit from.”