A new program implemented Sept. 24 sends registered nurses from Valencia, Calif.-based Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to a local senior center to provide free wellness checks and education, according to The Signal.
Once a month, nurses will visit Santa Clarita, Calif.-based Bella Vida senior center for five hours. Seniors can schedule appointments to ask general health questions and get blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels tested.
The CDC reports that more than 20 percent of noninstitutionalized individuals age 65 and older suffer from poor health. Bella Vida's program provides access to services that weren't previously provided, Katherine Chavez, RN, a nurse at Henry Mayo, told The Signal. She added that she hopes the program will increase access to healthcare for seniors in the region and introduce them to all the resources Henry Mayo offers, like free community education classes and support groups.
If the program is popular, a second day could be added each month.
A new program implemented Sept. 24 sends registered nurses from Valencia, Calif.-based Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital to a local senior center to provide free wellness checks and education, according to The Signal.