San Jose Staté University’s Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP) partnered with Santa Clara County’s Department of Adult and Aging Services (DAAS) to host its 25th Annual Senior Resource and Wellness Fair at San José City Hall on Monday, October 16th, 2017. Other partners included San José City’s Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services, and the Santa Clara County Valley Medical Center.
CHAMP coordinated the participation of approximately 60 students who offered their assistance as general volunteers, conducted screenings, and provided health education to attendees. The SJSU schools and departments participating in the annual fair were:
- Communicative Disorders (cognitive health, screenings, and hearing)
- Nutrition (education)
- Occupational Therapy (fall prevention)
- Recreation Therapy (leisure assessments and biofeedback)
- Social Work (mood assessment)
- Timpany Center (physical activity education and services)
An estimated 500 people attended the fair to learn about resources and ways to improve or maintain their mental and physical health. Approximately 50 community agencies participated to offer free health resources and information. Some of the screenings provided at the fair by these agencies were blood pressure, lung capacity, flu shots, and more.
Local agencies from Santa Clara County that were in attendance included Allere In-home Care, Elder Consult Geriatric Medicine, Home Helpers, the YMCA, Alzheimer’s Association, and many more. These organizations provided seniors with information on a variety of topics such as in-home care; assistive devices; mental health services; elder abuse; and assisted living options. The event also included several workshops and demonstrations such as nutritional information, housing rights, Medicare information, and yoga.
“We were pleased that this year’s event had so many elders from diverse ethnicities,” says Dr. Sadhna Diwan, Professor, School of Social Work, Director, Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations.
“The intergenerational interaction between the seniors and the students was powerful and a delight to observe. We are fortunate to have this partnership with DAAS that enables us to offer these wonderful learning opportunities for both students and seniors.”
Click here to watch the 25th Annual Senior Resource and Wellness Fair video.
