CONTACT: Mary Margaret Colliver, (859) 361-1887
FOR RELEASE
Mind Matters: The Science and Care Health Fair
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 20, 2009) – The University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, UK HealthCare and the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association will sponsor Mind Matters: The Science and Care Health Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Second Presbyterian Church, Main and Ransom streets, Lexington.
The health fair was extremely successful last year bringing in hundreds of Kentuckians from as far away as Danville and Morehead for a fun-filled day of learning, play and discovery.
The concept for the health fair is based on the Children’s Explorium, where the displays are designed to be interactive and fun. “Most health fairs are boring, but ours is refreshingly different,” said Dr. Greg Jicha, a neurologist at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. "The health fair provides a wonderful opportunity for educating the community on issues related to aging and the brain, but does so in an interactive and fun way. You can play with the research equipment and try it out for yourself. After all, why should kids have all the fun?"
The fair is free and open to the public. Families are welcome. There will be free memory screenings, free lunches, door prizes, and interactive exhibit booths and seminars, as well as opportunities to learn about normal healthy brain aging, stroke prevention, Alzheimer's disease research updates, and identifying community resources for persons experiencing memory and thinking decline.
"Promoting normal, healthy brain aging is tremendously important to many of us, although finding the right ways to keep our brains healthy can be challenging," said Jicha. "Tips for using physical, mental, and social activities and the possible use of nutritional supplements for maintaining brain health will be discussed."
Jicha said preventing stroke is yet another way to promote brain health. "UK stroke experts will discuss how we can minimize our risk for stroke and the disability that often accompanies it as we age," Jicha said.
The stroke team will also provide free blood pressure screenings and stroke risk assessments for all fair attendees.
The advent of disease-modifying therapies for diseases like Alzheimer’s puts a cure within reach. Over the past year, several new agents have been developed as potential cures for Alzheimer’s and related disorders. While still experimental and complexingly scientific, Jicha will boil the concepts down to the basics so that all can understand and engage in the excitement of a cure on the horizon.
Representatives from the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Alzheimer’s Association will discuss community resources that are available. Such resources are crucial for navigating the aging process and helping seniors maintain independence irrespective of whether they begin to develop memory problems or even Alzheimer’s itself.
In addition, a host of experts will address problems of aging such as Parkinson’s disease, language problems, limitation in physical mobility, legal issues in aging, impaired resistance to infections, among many others. "Please come join the fun, take away a door prize, or most importantly, leave with the knowledge you need to ensure your brain remains the healthiest it can be," Jicha said.
For more information on the health fair, contact Stephanie Freeman at (859) 257-1412, ext. 234. Go to www.mc.uky.edu/coa/ for information on the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.
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please go to http://www.uky.edu/OPBPA/Top20.html