Oaklawn health services to be highlighted April 10 at free Senior Fair

In the spirit of good health and preventive care, hundreds of area residents will be looking for – and finding – solutions during the Marshall Area Senior Fair.

The free public event will be from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10, in the gymnasium of the Marshall Middle School, 100 E. Green St.

Oaklawn Hospital is among the organizers, sponsors and presenters of the event, which will showcase information and services of interest to older adults and caregiving family members. The City of Marshall and the Calhoun County Office of Senior Services also are sponsors.

“This is one of the many ways in which Oaklawn reaches out to the community to educate residents about its resources and services,” said Sara Andrews, Oaklawn’s services coordinator. “It’s all part of a broad-based effort to help keep older adults safe, healthy and aging well.”

Andrews said Oaklawn’s participation in the fair helps to address some of the most significant regional needs identified in the Calhoun County Community Health Needs Assessment, launched in early 2013.

“Those needs include proper access to care, and helping people to understand how best to deal with chronic disease, such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension,” she said.

“Our area’s older adults can find a great deal of guidance and understanding just by stopping in and looking at some of the exhibits this event will have on hand,” Andrews said.

Andrews cited the fact that Oaklawn offers convenient access to care to residents of Marshall and regional communities. Oaklawn provides 27 percent of its services beyond its main campus, including offices in Albion, Beadle Lake, Bellevue, Homer, Marshall, Olivet and Tekonsha.

In addressing chronic disease, Oaklawn offers an outpatient diabetes self-management education program featuring group instruction and specialists. The Wound Clinic frequently offers free foot screenings targeting diabetic patients’ needs. The Oaklawn Sleep Center offers free sleep-disorder screenings and Oaklawn Medical Group – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation provides other treatments.

Fair participants will be offered a light lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the day, several services from Oaklawn Medical Group will participate, including Gastroenterology, Neurology Allergy & Immunology, Heart & Vascular Institute, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.

Also participating will be Oaklawn Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation and Oaklawn Auxiliary and Volunteer Services.

Other partners include the Albion Health & Wellness Action Team, the Albion Health Care Alliance, Family Health Center, Forks Senior Center, Fountain Clinic, Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce, J-Ad Graphics, Maplewood of Marshall, Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce and the Marshall Community Foundation.

For more information about the event, call Carl Gibson, manager of the Calhoun County Office of Senior Services, at (269) 781-0846.