Senior health fairs provide valuable wellness information.
A senior health fair is a great way to educate senior citizens on issues of health and fitness. If you provide a range of presenters and vendors offering information and samples, seniors can educate themselves about topics vital to their well-being. A senior health fair requires proper planning and execution. Allow enough time for the necessary advertising, hiring of staff and volunteers, and setup so the fair can proceed with minimal complications.
Instructions
Goals and Preparations
1. Determine your goals for the event. Perform a community needs assessment to select a site for the health fair. Make sure the site is not so spread out that participants have to walk far. Select a weekday time that will fit the needs of the senior population in the community.
2. Organize a planning committee if you expect more than 100 attendees. Develop a budget for the event. If the fair is being sponsored by your employer, prepare a budget justification for Human Resources or a similar oversight body. Smaller groups may be able to collaborate to achieve lower overhead than a single entity.
3. Develop a list of business and service providers to approach about sponsoring the health fair, to help defray costs. Create a list of benefits that a sponsor may receive for helping to host the fair. Personally meet with potential sponsors about their importance to the success of the fair.
4. Prepare of list of benefits that vendors who participate can expect to receive. Sometimes vendors are paid by the host organization, but many vendors can be approached about donating their time and expertise. Prepare a similar list of potential benefits when approaching hospitals, clinics and other professional organizations about donating their time.
5. Line up vendors to attend the health fair. Try to select a wide variety of medical, health, fitness, alternative care and other vendors that can address the needs and interests of the senior community you are serving.
6. Reserve the site you selected for the event. Make sure all reservations are made, insurance and permit requirements covered, and the day and time of the event finalized. Have all contracts signed and verified.
Logistics, Marketing and Contracts
7. Determine your logistical needs, such as transportation, restrooms, special-needs access and concessions.
8. Market the health fair to the community. Reach out to media outlets, senior centers, fitness clubs, churches and fraternal organizations to spread awareness of the event.
9. Finalize your vendors. Try to have medical personnel who can provide blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes screening, a foot care clinic, and other specialized medical information or services. Seek fitness personnel specializing in senior fitness to offer exercise tips.
10. Finalize your staff and volunteers. Make sure the event will be adequately staffed. Volunteers or staff should be available to help guide participants to the various vendor sites. Both staff and volunteers should have name tags. Make sure enough wheelchairs and other mobility aids are on hand.
11. Put up adequate signage to inform fair participants of the day's scheduled events and their locations. Prepare small programs that match the signs to hand out to participants.
Day of Event
12. Have a registration table or other kind of information booth at the entrance to the health fair. Staff the booth with knowledgeable, friendly greeters who can solve problems without becoming frustrated.
13. Provide a variety of presentations from doctors, physical therapists and fitness professionals throughout the day. Try to repeat some of the clinics and presentations if time allows.
14. Have EMT personnel on hand to staff a first-aid station. Provide plenty of protection from the elements if the fair takes place outdoors.
15. Take care of your vendors. Provide your professional presenters and other vendors with breakfast or lunch, depending on the timing of the fair.
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