Retirement News : Seniors : Health Fair Focuses on Area Seniors

Health Fair Focuses on Area Seniors

Date Added: 02-06-2005

May 29--Paula Torres never expected the outing would be so enjoyable -- or so enlightening.

But as Torres, 84, walked from booth to booth at the Senior Health and Fitness Day, Wednesday at The Doral Park Country Club, she made new friends and obtained information about her health, wellness and safety.

Seniors from Northwest Miami-Dade, including Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, Medley and Sweetwater, attended the health fair that was staged by the Alliance for Aging and the Rotary Club of Doral. Similar events were held across the United States to celebrate Older Americans Month.

From blood pressure exams to lessons on how to detect the early signs of breast cancer to glaucoma screenings, the 50 or so seniors who attended the free health fair in Doral left satisfied.

"This is very nice," said Torres, a Virginia Gardens resident who learned from screenings that her blood pressure and glucose levels were too high. "I am listening and learning a lot."

For the past three months, officials of the Rotary Club of Doral and the Alliance for Aging worked together to plan the event, which cost $3,500 to put on, said Rotary Club of Doral President Felipe Madrigal.

Robert Meneses, a member of the Rotary Club of Doral, who organized the event, said older Americans are "the forgotten generation" and deserve special treatment.

"Everything is done for kids," Meneses said. "There are not as many activities for the elderly. We want to do more for them."

Felisa Valderama, 80, enjoyed spending the day in Doral and meeting new people.

Though she wasn't too thrilled with the outcome of some of her screenings, which determined that her blood pressure and cholesterol are elevated, Valderama was nevertheless pleased that she could be a part of the event.

"These exams help us take care of ourselves," said Valderama, a Virginia Gardens resident. "I am very happy to be here."

Representatives from different organizations spoke to the seniors, handed out reading materials on medical issues and offered advice.

Jeni Font and Agatha Samuel, employees of Cedars Medical Center, spoke to the seniors about volunteer programs at the hospital and encouraged them to maintain an active lifestyle.

Their more difficult task, though, was conducting memory screenings on the seniors as an early detection method for Alzheimer's Disease.

The two women showed the seniors items such as eye glasses, keys and a pen, before moving the items out of sight. A few minutes later, they tested the seniors' memory by asking them to name the items they had been shown.

Other organizations, including the Epilepsy Foundation, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, also had representatives on hand to meet with seniors. Officers from the city of Doral Police distributed magnets with emergency phone numbers and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office made a presentation on the dangers of identity theft.

But it was a lesson in an unfamiliar type of exercise that got the seniors most energized.

For More Information: http://www.rednova.com/news/health/153048/health_fair_focuses_on_area_seniors/