Seniors get lesson in healthy living

By Jeremy Twitchell

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | 2:46 p.m.

Nursing students in their final semester at UNLV told a group of Henderson senior citizens Tuesday morning that simple changes in eating and exercise habits could create enormous benefits in their lives.

The seven students put on a health fair at the Henderson Senior Center as part of a capstone course in public health.

For the past few months, the students have been working with the center’s patrons and were tasked with putting together a community health project based on the needs they saw.

Student Andrea Soria said the biggest health risks students saw were poor diet and a lack of exercise. She said the aim of the health fair was to show seniors the simple changes they could make in those areas that would improve their health without major lifestyle changes.

“It’s taking years for people to develop these eating habits and we know how hard it is to change them,” Soria said. “We’re trying to adjust to (seniors’) lifestyle so they can be healthy.”

The students set up booths to demonstrate simple exercises, preventative health measures and how making minor diet changes — such as substituting turkey sausage for regular sausage or not using mayonnaise on sandwiches — could drastically reduce their intake of fat and calories.

“I was very surprised at the stuff they said not to eat because of all the calories and sodium — things that I was eating that I won’t eat anymore,” health fair attendee Pat Persichini said.

Students also offered blood pressure screenings and, at the conclusion of the fair, put on a game of bingo using questions based on what they had taught.

Senior center patron Maxine White said she was impressed by the students’ knowledge and appreciative of their desire to help.

“Many times, if we’re not out going to things like this, we get lackadaisical about our diet and eating habits,” White said. “So I like to go to these once in a while because it’s like a check-in, or a refresher course.”

Professor Michele Clark said she was pleased with the creative way in which her students presented such an important issue.

“With the economy going down the tubes, we really need to look at prevention,” Clark said. “I really applaud the students for examining this population and coming up with ways to help.”

But the seniors weren’t the only ones who benefitted from the experience, Clark said. By working at the center for the past few months and visiting the homes of center patrons to do environmental assessments, she said, students were able to see another important aspect of health care.

Now, she said, those students will treat patients with the understanding that they need to not only care for patients while they are in the hospital but teach them how to better care for themselves when they go home.

“These students will always discharge patients with a mindset that goes beyond the hospital, one that looks at the big picture,” Clark said.