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Saturday health fair brings senior citizens together with local service providers

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[September 30, 2021]  On Saturday morning, Illinois Senator Sally Turner and Representative Tim Butler sponsored the annual Senior Health Fair at the Oasis Senior Center.



Both Turner and Butler spoke with guests encouraging everyone to take advantage of the many tables filled with freebies and information about services available to local seniors.

The annual event was a little different than in year’s past. At previous fairs the booths included a number of health checks such as blood pressure, cholesterol and bone density tests. Due to the ongoing pandemic those health checks were eliminated.
 


The various organizations and health providers sharing information about services for local senior citizens included:

Senator Turner, Silver Fox Fitness, The Epilepsy Foundation, Christian Village, Vonderleith Living Center, Timber Creek Village, Ep!c Host Homes, Copper Creek Cottages, Sugar Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, Kindred Hospice, Transitions Palliative Care, Holland Barry Bennett Funeral Home, Memorial Health Systems, St. Clara’s Rehab and Senior Care, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Transition’s Health, Castle Manor Supportive Living, Illinois Department on Aging, Illinois Home Care Ombudsman Program ( an IDOA program).



Among the displays was a table and quilt stand set up by Kindred Hospice. The quilts are donated to the hospice program by the Quilter’s at Heart group from Lincoln and are given to hospice patients.



Carla Ackerman with the Quilters at heart showed a quilt that would be given to someone attending the health fair. The quilt was made by Ackerman and donated to Kindred to be given away.



Around the corner, Lesleigh Bennett was set up at the table representing her business. She had a flyer announcing that the funeral home will be hosting a walk-in Covid-19 vaccine clinic on Monday, October 11, 2021 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Public Health. It will be the Pfizer-BioNTech authorized for persons 12 years of age and older.

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The Pfizer is a two-shot program and in the past week it has been announced that there is also a booster-shot project for eligible persons including seniors over 65, people 18 and older with health issues, and frontline workers.

Bennett said that the booster is the same shot as the original, so those needing first time inoculation or those needing a booster may participate in the free clinic on the 11th.

Each table offered a number of free items including candy and snacks, notepads, ink pens, coffee mugs and much more. Each table also offered plenty of free information in the form of flyers and brochures that guests could take home and read at their convenience.



After touring the room, all guests were invited to cross over into the community room at the Oasis for donuts and beverages.


 


Oasis Director Nancy Cunningham greeted visitors. This coming week will be Cunningham’s last week at the Oasis. She is leaving her position to take on a new role as an instructor at the Logan Correction Center. She will be working with the female inmates on life skills education preparing them for life outside of prison upon their release.

She spent time on Saturday speaking with guests and friends who wished her well on her future endeavor and said they would miss her at the Oasis.

Cunningham said she would seriously miss her seniors and working at the Oasis. She said that she felt she was leaving the organization in better shape than she found it and is hoping the senior organization will continue to thrive in Logan County.

The goal of holding a health fair like this is to bring local seniors knowledge and understanding of what is available in the community to help them maintain their independence and continue to live well and healthy at home. For those who have reached the point when care is needed, the fair also raised awareness of the many services and facilities that are top notch alternatives for assisted living.

Turner, Butler and Cunningham were pleased with the turnout and are hopeful that the information provided will help local seniors through the aging process.


[Nila Smith]

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