Category Archives: Nutrition

5th Annual CHAMP Senior Wellness Fair

CHAMP Senior Wellness Fair 2015

CHAMP Senior Wellness Fair 2015

The Timpany Center hosted the annual Senior Wellness Fair on October 24, 2015. The fair brought in over 500 attendees, with many students from San José State University’s (SJSU) College of Applied Sciences and Arts (CASA) volunteering to interact with the population.

The Senior Wellness Fair is a partnership between SJSU’s Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP), the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Timpany Center, now in its fifth year. CHAMP is an interdisciplinary effort that includes faculty from the School of Social Work, The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, Nutrition and Food Science, Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy as well as the departments of Psychology and Communicative Disorders and Sciences.

Sadhna Diwan, School of Social Work professor and director of CHAMP, said the fair offers SJSU students an opportunity to practice their communication skills, learn how to engage seniors in screenings and health education, and learn about the role of multiple disciplines and the array of community services available to promote wellness and healthy aging.

Students from the School of Social Work interacted with seniors using a poster board displaying facial expressions to identify mood change and depression. The students handed out community resource sheets and gave recommendations on how to seek help if some seniors are experiencing a low mood change.

Social Work graduate students volunteer at the Senior Wellness Fair on Oct. 24, 2015.

Social Work graduate students volunteer at the Senior Wellness Fair on Oct. 24, 2015.

Naomi Gomez, a social work graduate student, said she and her fellow students were there to educate seniors on mood changes that lead into depression in the aging population. “We are offering seniors today different support systems and referrals to help lift their moods or if they know of someone they can pass this useful information to,” said Gomez.

Don Tran, a public health graduate student, greeted seniors with his fellow students and provided body mass index screenings and blood pressure testing. Tran is working with the Pathways to American Indian and Alaska Native (PAAW) to introduce a diabetes prevention program. Tran said that the fair provides an opportunity to seek out potential participants to take part in the program that will provide participants with gym memberships, walking shoes, healthy meals and more.

“We are focused on improving health for American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and all indigenous heritage population of Santa Clara County,” Tran said while handing out information packets to participants during the fair.

The Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging (NuFS) students provided information on food insecurities and healthy hydration methods. Kristian Ghazal, NuFS graduate student, said she volunteered to encourage seniors to buy local foods and where they can use CalFresh EBT cards.

Ghazal presented each visitor with an informational poster that highlighted healthy food options during each season of the year and reasons why the community should buy foods from local farmers. “Everyone attending the fair today should know where and how to get fresh foods from local farmers,” said Ghazal as she talked about the importance of seniors needing to maintain a healthy diet and supporting local farmers.

Kristian Ghazal, student volunteer, holds informational poster about local farmers and healthy seasonal foods.

Kristian Ghazal, student volunteer, holds informational poster about local farmers and healthy seasonal foods.

Susan Ross, Health Science and Recreation lecturer, and undergraduate students offered leisure interest screenings. Lovegifty Dudero, HSR undergraduate student, said she used the screening to talk with seniors about what they like to do on their free time. The results of the assessment identifies strengths and weaknesses of leisure activities such as physical, outdoor, mechanical, artistic, service, social, cultural and reading activities.

“From the results we can provide different leisure activities to help improve their weaknesses,” Dudero said, after finishing an assessment.

Lovegifty Dudero, student volunteer, administering a leisure screening with Senior Wellness Fair participant.

Lovegifty Dudero, student volunteer, administering a leisure screening with Senior Wellness Fair participant.

“Learning is one of the most life giving things a person can do,” said Ross, as she explained the goal of the student volunteers to teach people how to gain more novelty using the leisure screening. Other activities from NuFS included aging myths and aroma therapy.

An additional amount of students from SJSU volunteered their time to assist with various tasks at the fair. Desiree Barton, Daniela Zea and Chantelle Patel, School of Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC) undergraduate students, volunteered to take pictures of the event and interview seniors who attend.

“One of the most resourceful things for them is that everything is in one place and the free flu shots,” said Patel, after interviewing senior participants.

The JMC students plan to use the pictures and video interviews to create a video for CHAMP to spread awareness of the Senior Wellness Fair.

For more on CHAMP, click here.

 

Nutrition Prof earns Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award

Kasuen Mauldin

Kasuen Mauldin

San José State University Nutrition Professor Kasuen Mauldin has received an Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the United States’ largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. She was nominated by her peers and students in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging Department for this honor, which is given to recognize the teaching, mentoring and leadership activities of faculty in Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics-accredited programs. The award will be presented at the Nutrition and Dietetics Educators and Preceptors (NDEP) Area 1 meeting at Asilomar Conference Center on March 15. A list of awardees will be published in the September 2015 issue of the “Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics” and in the Spring 2015 issue of NDEP-Line, a newsletter for academy members. In addition, she will be recognized at the Fall 2015 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo meeting in Nashville, TN.

Mauldin joined the Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging in 2011 and teaches a variety of courses at all levels, from introduction to nutrition for health professional majors to human nutrition laboratory to advanced nutrition and metabolism at the graduate level. As a productive researcher, Mauldin mentors many graduate students, helping them achieve success through scholarships, research awards, and peer-reviewed publications and presentations. She said she is excited to lead in the creation of new courses and development of faculty-led programs abroad as a part of her department’s current efforts to advance its curriculum. Her teaching philosophy is that “effective educators are organized and prepared, professional and fair, resourceful and well connected, and believe there is always room for improvement.”

CASA students get in the holiday spirit

Members of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts Student Affairs Committee got into the holiday spirit before Thanksgiving when they decorated a tree for Christmas in the Park. The community trees will be on display at downtown San Jose’s Christmas in the Park through Jan. 1.

Members of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts' Student Affairs community decorated a tree for Christmas in the Park.

Members of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts’ Student Affairs community decorated a tree for Christmas in the Park.

Christie Martinez, the president of the 2014-15 Student Affairs committee, said the group came up with the idea as a way to be social with other departments and within the committee – one representative is assigned to serve each year from each of the 11 departments and schools in CASA.

Some of the volunteers who helped to decorate the tree included: Claudia Gonzalez, of Health Science and Recreation, Martinez, of Justice Studies, Valerie Ruiz, of Kinesiology, Rebecca Robinson, of the Valley Foundation School of Nursing, Becky Ringer, of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, Sara Wykoff, of Occupational Therapy, OT Professor Gigi Smith, and David Hoffman, of Social Work.

The tree is one of many decorated by community groups for the annual Christmas in the Park event, which is open and free to the public from the end of November through Jan. 1.

“We all decided at our committee meeting that our tree would represent all 11 departments within the college,” Martinez said, via email.

Each committee member was asked to collect or make ornaments that represent the students or staff of the department. Many of the decorations include the name or abbreviation for the department, with some coming up with unique ideas such as a tree skirt made of copies of the Spartan Daily to represent the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

“My favorite part was trying to find ideas to make the ornaments and also asking for my department’s help with ideas,” Martinez said.

Wykoff said her favorite part was seeing how unique each tree looked.

“Ours is so neat because of the variety of programs that it represents,” she said.

Martinez said she was planning to bring her children to see the tree she and other students decorated, which is located in space 449, across from the Fairmont Hotel.

“I want them to know that there is a lot more than just classes and homework at SJSU,” she said.

Wykoff said many of her classmates plan to go every year and even more plan to trek downtown to see the tree this year.

“Sometimes it seems that people are always so busy that the holidays are less of value, but Christmas in the Park is a reminder that there are still people out there that still value the holidays,” Martinez said.

Emeritus and Retired Faculty lunch with current CASA affiliates

The College of Applied Sciences and Arts hosted its annual Emeritus and Retired Faculty Luncheon Oct. 29, at Flames Eatery and Banquet.
Emeritus and Retired

Faculty were invited to join Assistant Chair of Kinesiology Shirley Reekie and Associate Dean Greg Payne for a tour of some of the newly completed construction on campus. About a half dozen faculty members participated in the tour of the newly renovated Yoshihiro Uchida Hall and the new Student Union.

“This is one of our favorite events to host each year because it gives us a chance to catch you up on what has been going on in CASA and around campus and also for us to hear what you’ve done this past year,” said Interim Dean Alice Hines in her welcome.

The highlight of the program included three College of Applied Sciences and Arts students who attended summer study abroad programs who shared how the experience left a strong impression on them. The students speakers included Aly Mauro, an Occupational Therapy student, Mia Gonzalez, a Journalism and Mass Communications student and Michael Celso, a Social Work student. The students each received the Helen L. Stevens Faculty-Led Program Scholarship, helping to off-set $500 of the cost of the summer programs. The College is currently working to develop more scholarships to support study abroad opportunities for students.

Emeritus and retired faculty from seven CASA departments, including some that have merged with other departments, attended the luncheon with current faculty from nine of the departments offering updates on their activities. The attendees included a former dean and emeritus faculty member, Robert Moore, who taught in the Division of Technology. Moore, who is in his mid-90s, said he recalled hiring Helen Ross Mico, a retired Health Science professor in attendance, and Lee Walton, a retired kinesiology professor in attendance.

CHAMP Senior Wellness Fair draws nearly 800 visitors

On Oct. 23, Leticia Medrano walked through the gymnasium at the Timpany Center, visiting vendor booths at the fourth annual Senior Wellness Fair.

With a bag full of pamphlets about community resources for seniors and free giveaways she had collected throughout the morning, she sat down to have her blood pressure taken by one of the many student volunteers from San José State University’s College of Applied Sciences and Arts Valley Foundation School of Nursing.

Medrano said she was having a great time at the Timpany Center, where she takes water classes and a better bones and balance class.

Nursing student Heather Bishop noted that the blood pressure booth was one of the few with a line.

“The seniors are usually on top of their blood pressure, but they like to check it,” said Jonathan Dinson, who took Medrano’s readings and said his class has been volunteering at the Timpany Center all semester. “She’s one of the regulars.”

The students said they do not diagnosis high blood pressure, but they can write a reading down for visitors that they can share with a doctor who can decide what they need.

College of Applied Sciences and Arts Interim Dean Alice Hines meets with Occupational Therapy Professor Megan Chang along with OT students Julie Rahan and Ashley Dawson at the Senior Wellness Fair.

College of Applied Sciences and Arts Interim Dean Alice Hines, from left, meets with Occupational Therapy Professor Megan Chang along with OT students Julie Rahan and Ashley Dawson at the Senior Wellness Fair.

Veronica Cavillo, a student in the School of Social Work, interviews a senior about his mood at the Seniro Wellness Fair Oct. 23. The event is a collaboration between San Jose State University Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP,) the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Timpany Center.

Veronica Cavillo, a student in the School of Social Work, interviews a senior about his mood at the Senior Wellness Fair Oct. 23. The event is a collaboration between San Jose State University Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP,) the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Timpany Center.

 

Jonathan Dinson, left, takes Leticia Medrano's blood pressure at the Senior Wellness Fair on Oct. 23. Dinson, a student in SJSU's Valley Foundation School of Nursing, was just one of dozens of students to volunteer at the wellness fair from the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Jonathan Dinson, left, takes Leticia Medrano’s blood pressure at the Senior Wellness Fair on Oct. 23. Dinson, a student in SJSU’s Valley Foundation School of Nursing, was just one of dozens of students to volunteer at the wellness fair from the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Bishop noted that in addition to giving the nursing students a chance to practice a skill, they also learned about resources in the community.

“We are working with seniors a lot this semester so there are a lot of resources we can share with patients,” she said.

The Senior Wellness Fair hosted at the Timpany Center on Oct. 23 brought in more than 789 attendees this year, with many students from SJSU’s College of Applied Sciences and Arts volunteering to interact with the population.

The Senior Wellness Fair is a partnership between SJSU’s Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations, the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Timpany Center, now in its fourth year. CHAMP is an interdisciplinary effort that includes faculty from the College of Applied Sciences and Arts’ School of Social Work, the Valley Foundation School of Nursing, Nutrition and Food Science, Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy as well as the departments of Psychology and Communicative Disorders and Sciences.

Sadhna Diwan, a professor of Social Work and the director of CHAMP, said the goals for students at the event are to practice implementing health promotion education with seniors; engage in interprofessional learning through exposure to the work of other disciplines or professions and learn about vital community resources that can be helpful to older adults and their families.

Martha Ortiz, a recreation therapy major, said she and her fellow students were giving a survey to seniors to find out if they are feeling unfilled in any part of their lives – physical, mental, social, spiritual or cognitive.

“We help them realize which area they should focus on and give them resources,” she said.

Ortiz said they were trying to help seniors understand that they can define their leisure time to help them feel more fulfilled, such as getting outdoors for a hike or a picnic.

Danelle Willey, a Nutrition and Food Science major, said she and the students at her booth were working with seniors to educate them on the sodium in different food products.

They had printed out labels of several condiments and popular food items, such as fish sauce and a frozen meal.

“We want to bring to light the high amount of sodium we can eat without realizing it,” Willey said. “It can put people at risk for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases. By lower intake now, they can lessen the effects or not have them get them as early in life.”

One of the surprise items with a high level of sodium was the fish sauce, which contains 99 percent of the daily recommended amount of sodium. The students handed out free samples of a salt-free Mrs. Dash seasoning.

“They’ve been very receptive,” Willey said, of the seniors visiting the booth.

Students in the School of Social Work did a short survey with seniors to determine their mood to see if they might be in need of services to deal with a depressed mood.

“It can be a sensitive topic if they have a low mood,” said Lindsay Lytle. “We can tell them where to go for help and how to talk about it.”

The students had a sheet with community resources to share with seniors. Lytle said if anyone had a low mood they recommended the person speaking with a primary doctor to follow up.

Ashley Dawson and Julie Rahan, two Occupational Therapy students, worked with seniors to assess their risk of falls. At their booth, they first surveyed seniors to get their perception of their risk of falling and then did an assessment with the seniors.

“Depending on how they do physically, we make some recommendations,” Rahan said, of how they can prevent falls.

At the event, they offered a Falls Prevention workshop.

“Their perception is usually similar to the assessment,” Dawson said, noting that the seniors they had encountered in the morning were happy to do the assessment.

For more on CHAMP, visit: http://www.sjsu.edu/champ/