Tag Archives: Aging

SJSU’s Center For Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP) Offers San Jose’s Seniors Health Screenings and Information

On Thursday, September 29, the 24th Annual Senior Resource & Wellness Fair, presented by the County of Santa Clara Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS), in partnership with the City of San Jose Parks & Recreation Department, and SJSU’s Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations (CHAMP), took place at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose.

Approximately 400 people in the community came out to the Wellness Fair to receive information from 85 different programs that provide information and services to the senior population.  There were about 70 vendors from community agencies. Participants were able to receive a multitude of health screenings – flu shots, blood pressure, glucose, dental, spine alignment, skin, mood, cognitive function, falls prevention, fitness, biofeedback, and hearing tests which were provided by Walgreens, SJSU students and other agencies.  Several workshops and fitness demonstrations were also held throughout the day, including Laughter Yoga, Fair Housing Rights, Cal Medi-Connect, and Nutrition.

More than 40 students, led by faculty from six San Jose State departments, participated in offering screenings or healthy living advice to older adults at the event. Students from the following departments offered information/screenings on the following topics:

  • Social work – Mood and wellness screening
  • Nursing – Blood pressure screening
  • Kinesiology – Information on evidence-based exercise
  • Occupational Therapy – Falls and balance
  • Recreation Therapy – Biofeedback to improve breathing and managing stress
  • Communicative Disorders – Ear inspections; and Cognitive wellness screening

“The Wellness fair offers SJSU students a wonderful opportunity to practice their communications 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,” says Sadhna Diwan, Ph.D.,Professor, School of Social Work, Director, Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations.

Photos by Lauren Chun, Megan Dejan and Mickie Lau, students from Dwight Bentel & Hall Student Advertising and Public Relations Agency, School of Journalism and Mass Communications:

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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.

 

Senior Wellness Fair attendance doubles from 2011

More than 650 people attended the Senior Wellness Fair at Timpany Center in San Jose on Oct. 24, including students and vendors. The annual event is put on by San José State University’s Center for Healthy Aging and Multicultural Populations and the Santa Clara County’s Department of Adult and Aging Services. Attendance increased from more than 300 visitors in 2011 and more than 400 visitors in 2012.

Students from seven San Jose State departments participated in offer screenings or healthy living advice to older adults at the event. Students from the following departments offered information on the following topics:

  • Social work – mood and wellness screening
  • Communicative disorders – hearing loss and communication tips
  • Nursing – blood pressure screening
  • Occupational Therapy – falls and balance
  • Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging – healthy eating and food insecurity
  • Health Science and Recreation – leisure interest screening
  • Kinesiology – fall prevention

Sadhna Diwan, a professor of social work in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts and director of CHAMP, said there were also many volunteers from other departments who helped to pull off the half-day event.

“The gym at Timpany looked fabulous and was buzzing with energy,” she said via email to many who helped plan the event.

Some of those volunteers included School of Journalism and Mass Communication students who took video footage and photos of the event. In addition to the health screenings, older adults and caretakers were able to visit with 50 exhibitors with information on topics ranging from medical care to legal help to cultural groups.

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

 

 

Senior resources gather for Wellness Fair

San José State University’s Center for Healthy Aging and Multicultural Populations is a sponsor of the 21st Annual Senior Resource and Wellness Fair Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Timpany Center, 730 Empey Way, in San Jose.

The annual event is co-sponsored by the County of Santa Clara Social Services Agency Department of Aging and Adult Services and Friends of Human Resources. The free event will provide information on services, resources, opportunities, screenings and activities in the area that are available to older adults, their caretakers and other adult service professionals. During the event, SJSU’s College of Applied Sciences and Arts faculty members and students are planning to volunteer. Some of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts departments and schools involved with CHAMP include Health Science and Recreation, Kinesiology, Nursing, Nutrition and Food Science, Occupational Therapy and Social Work, with departments from other colleges on campus also involved.

The first 150 visitors will be able to receive a free flu vaccination. Other health screenings and education topics include:

Blood pressure

Nutrition screening and advice

Balance screening and fall prevention

Mood and wellness screening

Physical activity demonstrations

Hearing loss advice

There will also be community resources related to housing, legal advice, home care, transportation, health care, mental health, nutrition and elder protection.

The Center for Healthy Aging in Multicultural Populations has a mission of promoting healthy aging among multicultural and diverse populations living in the San Francisco Bay Area. The faculty involved come from all academic disciplines at San José State University to complete interdisciplinary aging research, education and training and create strategic partnerships with community-based organizations working with older adults.

For more information on the Wellness Fair, call 408-755-7600 or visit www.sccseniorwellnessfair.wordpress.com. For more information on CHAMPS, visit www.sjsu.edu/champ/.