Marlo Stavrou, 77, of Novato, sat in a chair at the Margaret Todd Senior Center with a smile on her face as Debi Stone performed cranial sacral massage on the back of her neck.
“I had a headache all night, but she has been working on my neck and I’m feeling much better,” said Stavrou, who was enjoying the benefits of Health Services Day at the center Wednesday. About 100 people showed up for the free services, which included skin cancer screenings, dental checkups and glucose testing.
“Our community partners donated their services for free,” said Carol Ann Moore, senior resources director for Marin Episcopal Senior Communities. Moore organized the event with Debby Nowlin, program coordinator for the senior organization.
“It (the event) brings seniors to a place they are familiar and comfortable with to receive services,” Nowlin said. “And it acquaints them with new resources, like cranial sacral therapy and acupuncture.”
Seniors got canvas bags at the door and then visited tables that ringed the room offering healthful fare such as oranges, bananas and water from Veolia Water, as well as an assortment of services.
Dominican University offered fall risk assessments and recommendations. Falls are serious trouble for seniors; one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.
And every year, 2.5 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Michael Swanfelt, 58, of Novato, leaned forward and extended his arm as far forward as possible while Salvador Chavez, a senior occupational therapy student at Dominican University, measured his reach with a yardstick. The purpose of the measurement was to gauge Swanfelt’s risk of falling.
“Fourteen inches is a minimal risk of falling,” Chavez said. He assessed Swanfelt’s risk as moderate.
Swanfelt then moved to a series of pictures on the wall depicting rooms in the home. Looking at the bathroom, Swanfelt said, “About 10 years ago, I was visiting my sister and I took a fall. It was scary, so now I have (no-slip) mats all over the bathroom.”
“We want to make sure homes are as safe as possible,” said Emily Vassallo, a Dominican University occupational therapy student. “You can spend thousands of dollars on modifications like grab bars, and also you can make certain changes for free, like moving clutter out of the way.”
On the other side of the room, Novato Dermatology was offering free skin cancer testing. About 35 people had signed up by 11 a.m. Nearby, Marin Community Clinics was giving free dental screenings.
Mary Strebig of Sutter Health Novato Community Hospital was handing out cards reminding people how to deal with stroke.
“We call it FAST: any drooping or paralysis of the face, weakness of an arm or other limb, slurred speech, get to the hospital, because time is brain,” Strebig said.
“You can’t always get preventive checks for things like cholesterol paid for by Medicare,” said Stavrou after her cranial sacral massage.
“I’m grateful for this kind of activity,” Stavrou said.
