Senior Healthcare Expo set

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will be helping senior citizens sort through health care issues this weekend at its first Senior Healthcare Expo.

"It's just health and wellness resources for seniors," said Terra Carroll, the program director for the chamber.

The expo is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Abilene Baptist Church at 3917 Washington Road in Martinez.

The expo will kick off with lunch and a panel discussion about Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drugs, long-term care and Social Security benefits. The speakers for the panel are scheduled to include state Sen. Jim Whitehead, R-Evans; Rep. Sue Burmeister, R-Augusta; Health Link CEO Doug Wilson; and Tom Faber, the director of the Long Term Planning Center of Georgia.

"Folks just don't get this information from insurance," Carroll said.

The panel is free, but lunch costs $5, Carroll said.

Carroll said expo booths and workshops on health care topics will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Topics will include speech and hearing, diabetes, weight management, cardiac rehabilitation, cancer services, volunteer services, physician practices, vision, financial planning, retirement communities and a pharmacy booth providing special services.

"They (seniors) can bring a bag of all their medications and they'll look at all the medications and make sure none of them have a negative effect on another," Carroll said.

Carroll said the expo idea came from the chamber's Business Development Committee, which during a recruitment effort found the need to publicize the county's health care providers.

Forums also will be held at the expo from 1 to 5:30 p.m. on such topics as osteoporosis, assisted living, Medicare, health prevention and other topics in a smaller setting than the luncheon and panel discussion.

For more information , call the chamber at (706) 651-0018.