The Health Professions Division will host a health fair for baby boomers and seniors on April 3 at 1 p.m. at the Terry Building located at 3200 S. University Dr.
At the sixth annual Boomers and Beyond, A Day for Health and Wellness, people over 40 can get screenings and information about their physical and psychological health and care.
Michelle Gognon-Blodgett, Psy.D., planning committee chair for the event, said, “It’s a great chance for the public to come talk to the experts who are very much on the high end. They don’t just teach. They research and practice in their fields. That’s something that is very unique; the quality of our health care providers.”
Gognon-Blodgett also said the fair was a way to showcase to the community all the services and programs NSU offers to baby boomers and seniors.
“[The geriatric field] is losing [professionals] and [universities are] meeting a very small percentage of that need. There are not enough people who have the training,” she said.
At the fair, attendees will also be able to turn in expired medications for proper disposal, enter raffles, play Beatles Rock Band and get legal advice from attorneys in elder law. Also, the Center for Hearing and Communication will donate amplified phones for people with hearing problems.
HPD students, supervised by faculty, will perform the screenings, which include peripheral artery disease, body max index (BMI), glucose, blood pressure, bone density, cholesterol, fall risk, foot health, memory, medication, mental health, skin health and social well-being.
“Last year, we had a lot of boomers, a lot of whom were uninsured or underinsured so they couldn’t afford the screenings,” said Gognon-Blodgett. “So a lot of people could be pre-diabetic and not know that [because they can’t afford the screenings].”
She said there will be a fall prevention team at the fair who will assess a person’s chances of falling. There are several factors that could contribute to someone falling including fear of falling, inner ear problems and environmental factors. The team will type up a report of their assessment, which they will give to the patients so that they may take it to their primary doctor for a follow-up.
Gognon-Blodgett said this year’s fair will also feature entertainment. There will be live performances by The Broward College Jazz Combo and the Brazilian Voices. Parkinson’s Disease: A Journey in Creativity will be displayed at the fair to celebrate April as Parkinson’s awareness month.
For more information, please contact 954-NSU-CARE (954-678-2273) or visit www.nova.edu/healthcare/boomers.
