Edler fair offered a wealth of health info

The annual Elder Fair, with about 70 vendors on Tuesday, offered a one-stop of health screenings, flu shots and information about services for Highlands County's seniors.

Due to construction at Firemen's Field, the event was held at the Family Life Center at the First United Methodist Church Sebring.

After placing her finger in an oxygen sensor for a few moments, Isabel Rogers got the good word.

"Excellent," your blood oxygen level is 100 percent, said Alvina Beyer, of Parish Nursing of Florida Hospital Heartland Division.

It was Rogers' first trip to the Elder Fair.

"They should change the name to the Baby Boomers Fair," Rogers said. "In my brain, in my mind, I'm not old," she said with a laugh.

Some people who are 25, are old in here, Rogers said, pointing to her heart.

The 63-year-old Sebring resident said she works out three times a week at a women's exercise facility and she was going to exercise after her stop at the Elder Fair.

Beyer told her, "I don't care about what kind of exercise or how far you go or how fast you go - it's the fact that you are moving,"

Rogers added "And, what you are eating, too."

It was also a first-time visit to the Elder Fair for Robert Shaw of Sebring who sat for an osteoporosis screening.

Earlier he had a blood test and ate an apple dumpling.

"The blood test wasn't so good and the apple dumpling was OK - no ice cream," he commented.

The Elder Fair is presented by the Aging Advocacy Coalition of Highlands County.

Florida Hospital Heartland Division Parish Nurse Coordinator Suzanne Crews commented Wednesday that an elderly lady was distressed at the Elder Fair last year after screenings revealed a number of health concerns.

"She came in there helpless and left with a plan," Crews said.

Florida Hospital Heartland Division Corporate & Community Wellness Director Sara Rosenbaum said the Elder Fair outgrew the Agri-Civic Center years ago and will be held in a newly constructed building at Firemen's Field next year.

Attendance was off last year (about 200) due to stormy conditions and a forecast of possible tornadoes, she said. In years with good weather, attendance has been around 600 to 800.

The Family Life Center was packed with vendors.

"We have a little bit of everybody here this year," Rosenbaum said. "There's everybody from services you might need as an out-patient to assisted living facilities.

All the vendors have such great giveaways and information, she added.

"The Palms of Sebring and their Gold Palms Catering did such a wonderful job for us and they provided the food for free," Rosenbaum noted.

With stuffed pretzels, pastries, a cheese platter and snacks at some of the vendor booths including chocolate chip cookies, no one went away hungry.

A woman leaving the Elder Fair with her husband commented, "Man, I could eat here all day."