PACOIMA : Health Conference to Aid the Elderly
Older people don’t have to feel helpless or confused about the health challenges that often accompany aging.
With proper information they can prevent some illnesses, lessen the likelihood of others and ensure that doctors are receptive to their needs.
The organizers of the upcoming “Celebrating Long Life and Good Health” gathering, an intergenerational conference sponsored by the Pacoima Senior Citizens Multipurpose Center, say they plan to provide seniors with this kind of information.
“When you talk about menopause, before you reach menopause, a lot of times it can be scary,” said the Rev. Alicia Broadous-Duncan, director of the center. “We want to give information that will lessen fears. We want to give information so men will know how to do preventative things as it relates to prostate cancer.”
The conference, which is open to people of all ages, will also include workshops on stress management, high blood pressure, nutrition, diabetes and breast cancer, Broadous-Duncan said. A multiethnic panel will discuss the legacy of traditional healing or folk medicine in the Asian, African-American and Latino communities.
Panelists include Dr. Andrew Sanderson of Lancaster, Millie Holland, director of nursing for county health facilities in Pacoima, San Fernando and the Antelope Valley, and Angie Mejia, a licensed vocational nurse with the county Health Department in Pacoima.
Members of Senior-to-Senior, the center’s peer counseling group, will facilitate small group discussions in which conference participants will share ideas and experiences.
“Seniors have not lived on this land this long without learning something,” Broadous-Duncan said. “Seniors will be sharing and young people will be sharing. We know that out of that comes a bonding and a nurturing.”
The conference will be held 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church of San Fernando, 1525 Glenoaks Blvd. Registration is $5, scholarships available. The fee includes snacks and lunch. Call (818) 899-9548.