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Community Corner

TRIAD Hosting Health Fair for Senior & Adults

Hoping to educate more residents about their many programs, TRIAD will host the fair at the Presbyterian Church

The Needham TRIAD Committee— an association of law enforcement, senior citizen groups and support service for the aging population— will host the 10th annual Resource & Health Fair for Senior/Adult Family Members tomorrow from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church, 1458 Great Plain Ave.

The TRAID is multi-tiered group dedicated to providing services, information and education to senior citizens to assist them in living healthy and productive lives.

William Dugan, chairman of the TRIAD Committee and president of the Retired Men's Club of Needham, says the upcoming Resource & Health Fair is designed to reach out and educate Needham's aging population about the services available to them, and do so in an environment that best suits the population.  

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"This year we reached out to the seniors and sent out over 300 post cards talking about the fair," he said. "We've never done that kind of outreach before." 

Dugan says Needham's aging population numbers over 7,000 people, but only about one third of them have consistent access to the internet, which means that groups like TRIAD are relying on both the Web and events like tomorrow's fair to get the word out.

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"There's information out there, but it isn't disseminated to a lot of these people, which is why we've stepped up our outreach," he says. "I'd like to see 400 to 500 seniors show up this year. We've got over 60 different vendors that are going to have a lot of useful information for the senior population and I'd like to see it reach as many people as possible."

Dugan says that on top of not being aware of all the service there are in place to assist elderly citizens, many are hesitant contact to safety personal or officials for help when it's warranted. Their reluctance can have very dangerous repercussions, and it's an issue that will be addressed at this year's Resource & Health Fair.

"In general seniors are very reluctant to call the police or fire departments. They tend to try to drive themselves to the hospital, or say things like, 'It's only a little fire I don't want to call the fire department,' or 'I don't want to disturb the police because they're awfully busy,'" he says. "These are the kind of attitudes we're trying to change."

In addition to seminars hosted by safety officials and healthcare professionals, vendors who sell items marketed towards seniors will be at the fair offering demonstrations of their products. Free health screenings, morning refreshments and a complimentary lunch will also be served.

The following are but a few of the services or products that will be presented and/or explained at the fair:

  • File of life: A small file containing all of a resident's important medical info is fastened to the refrigerator so responding EMTs will have critical information immediately upon arrival.
  • Are you OK program?: A daily phone service where a single phone call is placed daily to seniors living alone. If they fail to answer the call, or if dispatchers feel something is amiss, emergency workers are sent to the house. 
  • 9-11 safety beacon: A light attached to the front of the house can be activated by a push of button to alert safety officials to which house placed the distress call, even if an address wasn't clearly given in the distress call or if street numbers aren't readily visible.
  • Wandering locators: Two new 'tracking' devices will be detailed, and experts will explain how safety teams monitor these bracelets and use them to find people who may become disorientated and wander from their homes putting themselves in danger.  
  • Safety Bath of New England: Will be at the Fair, showcasing products like grab bars, lift- up seats, and other bathroom accessories designed to make slippery showers less dangerous.
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