Senior Expo brings knowledge, fellowship to local senior citizens

Oct. 6—BLUEFIELD — Senior citizens enjoyed fellowship and entertainment, played Bingo and gained knowledge Friday while Elvis entered the building to perform for them at the 2023 Senior Expo.

Vendors offering information about their services for seniors converged on the Brushfork National Guard Armory. Guests were offered Bluefield Daily Telegraph bags they came through the armory's doors.

The Mercer County Health Department worked with Blue Prince Family Health to provide flu vaccinations and covid boosters shots to seniors. Nursing students from Bluefield State University and Bluefield University helped along with LPN students from the Mercer County Technical Education Center, said Debra Legg, the health department's interim administrator.

Legg said participating in the expo helps seniors learn about the health department's services.

"We enjoy being part of Mercer County and providing health care to the citizens of Mercer County," Legg said as more seniors arrived for inoculations. "We feel we need to be out in the public so they know where we are and who we are, what an awesome we have in the Blue Prince Clinic inside the health department; it's a family practice clinic. There is a great team of professionals at both the clinic and the health department. It's a noble mission, I think."

Besides booklets about healthcare and local healthcare services, seniors were also finding their share of entertaining material. Visitors coming to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph's booth found books such as "Murder in the Mountains" and "Myths of the Mountains" for sale at discount prices.

"Seniors have loved it," said Ashley Myers, senior account executive. "We actually can't keep them on the table. We've had a lot of positive feedback about the newspaper today, which is a good thing. We're really pleased with the turnout. Everybody's happy and enjoying themselves."

Many of the seniors were connecting with family and friends they had not seen in months or even years.

"I've been coming for years except last year," said Susan Meadows, 82, of Princeton. "I just like how I know a lot of the people here."

Mae Carbauth, 81, of Bluefield, Va. was exploring the vendors with her friend Sam Bailey, 72, of Bluefield.

"I've run into several people I haven't seen in years," Carbauth said.

Bailey was seeing people he knew, too, but there were even more reasons for attending the senior expo.

"Entertainment, gifts," he said.

Some gifts were designed to help seniors during medical emergencies. The Princeton Rescue Squad had items such as File of Life file pockets that magnetically stick to refrigerators. Seniors can use them to record medical facts such as physical conditions and medications so EMTS will see them if an emergency strikes, said James Hill, EMT and rescue squad's safety officer. A health app now available for cellphones can also give EMTs important information when patients cannot answer questions.

The Princeton Rescue Squad can now send EKG readings to WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital when an ambulance is on a call, giving physicians information they need before a patient arrives, Hill said.

Seniors attending the expo also learned about services they can use almost every day. CASE (Community Action of South Eastern West Virginia) told visitors about the CASE Commission on Aging senior center at Trent Street in Princeton.

"We're sharing all our services at the center," said Assistant Director Pam Tucker, RN.

The center offers services such as a congregate meal, exercise classes, dance classes, Bingo, transportation to doctor appointments and grocery shopping, and personal care information. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, she said.

Outside the armory, Debbie Mitchem, 65, of Montcalm was getting ready to go home.

"This is really nice," she said. "Good food to eat, really nice, and I got information on Medicaid."

As some visitors were leaving, Elvis, also known as Rudy Elvis, was entering the building.

"We like giving back to the community," Rudy Elvis said, adding that while he has performed in New York state, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, West Virginia is home. "We like to give back, especially to the seniors and they are always nice, the best audience."

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com