SENIORS : Body and Soul : Hospitals’ free programs, ranging from cancer screenings to recreation, aim to help older adults stay healthy and happy.

Hospitals have been pictured as treacherously dangerous financial wind tunnels: Get near one and your life savings are sucked up and disappear.

But for the elderly, hospitals can be surprisingly giving and generous, sponsoring free programs for everything from basic health to basic bridge.

Many of the free programs are open to anyone who can prove they are 50 or older.

It’s one of the few times people are happy to whip out their identification.

A run-down of some of the offerings:

Valley Hospital Medical Center, Van Nuys

Valley Hospital, an affiliate of Unihealth America, is a base for ElderMed America, a nonprofit organization that offers several free services, including health screenings and lectures, referrals to physicians accepting Medicare assignments and assistance with health insurance claim forms.

The hospital also sponsors the Walkaroos, a walking program at Panorama Mall, and activities such as a choral group directed by conductor Johnny Mann.

Lecture topics range from Medicare benefits and changes to a recent program--co-sponsored by the Mid-Valley Community Police Council, the SFV Community Mental Health Center and the Los Angeles Police Department--on scams and other crimes against the elderly and how to report them.

Call (818) 908-8791.

Medical Center of North Hollywood

The hospital offers several periodic free cataract, foot, blood pressure and skin cancer screenings as well as programs on such topics as health and long-term care insurance, pain management, nutrition, cancer prevention and treatment, heart disease and cholesterol, osteoporosis, cataracts and the aging eye, skin aging and skin cancer, wellness for seniors and arthritis.

Many of these programs are open to anyone but are geared especially to seniors.

The North Hollywood facility also offers a walking program at Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, free limousine service for seniors who need transportation for outpatient procedures and daily discounts in the cafeteria.

Call (818) 980-9200.

Glendale Memorial Hospital

This hospital’s free services for those 50 and older include mature driving classes, health education presentations, blood pressure screening, Walk-a-Diles Walking Club and other exercises classes, the Serendipity Travelers travel club, insurance workshops, volunteer opportunities counseling, prostate screenings, assistance with Medicare and other insurance problems, and a discount in the hospital cafeteria.

Call (818) 502-1900.

St. Joseph Medical Center, Burbank

Free services to the elderly include community forums, health fairs, health screenings and cancer support groups.

Call (818) 843-7438.

Granada Hills Community Hospital

The hospital offers a number of support groups for seniors, including one for the widowed and another for those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease in the family.

There are also workshops on general health issues and a Huff ‘n’ Puff Club, an exercise group for people with respiratory illnesses.

Call (818) 360-1021.

Northridge Hospital Medical Center

Through its AwareCare program, the hospital has a number of free services of specific interest to older people.

These include seminars conducted by the hospital staff on such topics as diabetes, health issues for older women, normal and abnormal memory loss, skin disease and weight and eating disorders.

Call (818) 885-5482.

AMI Tarzana Regional Medical Center

A number of free programs sponsored by the hospital are open to anyone but are of special interest to seniors.

Support groups for a variety of diseases and problems meet at the hospital.

These include groups for cancer patients, their friends and family (call 818-591-2706 or 818-708-5390), diabetes (call Earl Jones, 818-340-4938), myasthenia gravis (call Doreen Hawbecker, 818-894-6824), Tourette’s syndrome (818-886-6655) or arthritis (818-344-2094).

Tarzana also has a grandparenting class that offers the latest information in feeding, diapering and nutrition for newborns. Call (818) 708-5580.

Staff physician Richard Minter coordinates monthly talks with various speakers at the Valley Senior Service & Resource Center, 18255 Victory Blvd., Reseda. Call (818) 705-2345.

Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Van Nuys

The hospital often offers free screenings and seminars as well as a monthly dinner for those 50 and older through its Golden Vitality Program.

The program costs $3, but offers a banquet-style meal, with appropriate flowers and linen, and a speaker who addresses topics of interest to the older citizen.

Call (818) 902-3908.

Humana Hospital West Hills

Humana Hospital has a Seniors Assn. that costs $15 a year to join and offers anyone 55 and older a number of free services including monthly wellness classes and general meetings of an educational nature.

The senior group also has a schedule of social activities that include trips, bridge and golf tournaments.

Call (818) 712-4100.

Encino Hospital

Encino Hospital offers periodic free screenings and programs of interest to older people. The hospital’s open house for its oncology unit is from 4-7 p.m. Thursday.

Call (818) 995-5000.