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SENIORS LEARN PREVENTION IS BEST MEDICINE AT HEALTH FAIR
By Keith Hagarty
 | | --Photo By Keith Hagarty Bridging the generations, students from Memorial Middle School's student council lent a helping hand last week at the Howell Senior Center's Health Fair. |
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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure was the theme at the Howell Senior Center's Health Fair last week, where the event drew over 100 residents and medical professionals who provided over a dozen free screenings, all in an effort to promote awareness and early detection of a multitude of maladies.
As the seventh senior health fair held in Howell over the last 10 years, program coordinator Carolann Hartigan said the event is all about providing an easier way for the town's senior population to get their bodies checked out without obstacles.
"It's important because citizens are living longer," said Hartigan. "Therefore, they really need to take advantage of screenings to make sure that they're being tested. It's very difficult for them to sometimes get out to doctors. Sometimes, they don't drive, but we have transportation, so they can come here and they can take care of every screening, or every need, all in one visit."
Like almost everyone else, seniors often put off getting checked out by a doctor until it becomes a necessity. Hartigan and the senior center staff are optimistic the health fair can help break down barriers of apprehension seniors may have when seeking medical attention.
"We all tend to think, 'well, it's probably nothing,' but when it's right here in front of you and it's free- they can get an answer right away," she said. "They don't have to wait to get blood work back to find out if their glucose is okay, or if their cholesterol is okay … while it's not full blown blood tests we're giving, they're screenings, but at least it gives them an indication of whether they may need to see a doctor to get it looked at further."
The primary focus of this year's health fair was to have more screenings than ever, some of which included those to gauge the seniors' glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, skin cancer, balance, hearing and eyesight.
Dr. Hal Ornstein of Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center, LLP, joined about 15 other doctors and health care vendors providing the free screenings to attendees to help catch any potential problems.
Teaching senior residents about the warning signs of any potential maladies was the key focus of the health fair, said Chad Schwartz, director of patient and community relations for Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center, LLP.
"What we're trying to do is educate people, the good and bad things for their feet with a focus on preventative health care for the foot and ankle," said Schwartz.
Getting checked out by a doctor sooner rather than later can often mean the difference between an easily treatable condition caught in the early stages, to a more severe diagnosis if left untreated, particularly for patients with diabetes, according to Schwartz.
"Preventative health care, especially for a diabetic patient, is by far the most important thing," he said. "A lot of people don't know how serious (a foot problem) can be, and don't pay attention to it, not necessarily until it's too late, but until it becomes a big problem."
Schwartz was elated by the positive response and participation shown from the seniors at the health fair.
"They're 100 percent awesome," he said. Schwartz joined the other health care vendors in applauding the organizers of the senior center for their continued dedication to the welfare of the elderly residents in the community.
"The whole team here is just openarmed and they're really great to work with," said Schwartz.
Eighteen students from the student council at Memorial Middle School also volunteered at the health fair, lending a helping hand where needed by serving meals to the seniors and assisting at the screening booths.
The welcoming, warm atmosphere shown by the members of the senior center quickly relieved any nerves the students may have had, according to teacher Jen Camilleri.
"As soon as we walked in, two of the (senior) ladies started dancing with some of our kids, so we were like, alright this is going to be great," she said.
Two of the students who immediately stepped up to the plate were eighth graders Kelsey Hanlon and Tiffany Wielebinski. The girls helped one of the Spanish-speaking seniors navigate the fair.
"I was pretty scared at first," Hanlon said of using her Spanish translation skills, "but I was like, well, I'll just try and there's no harm in trying."
With plans this summer to shadow her mother, who's an emergency room pediatrician, as well as being a candy striper at CentraState Medical Center, Hanlon is excited to develop her aspiration into the medical field.
With a free breakfast, lunch and door prizes provided at the event, Hartigan said it's important to keep the day fun, especially for those residents who are most apprehensive when it comes to seeking medical treatment.
"They're just loving it, and having a wonderful time," she said. "They get lots of goodies and lots of giveaways."
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