Our Residents
Health fair delivers timely information to residents at Riverview Apartments
Riverview Apartments residents flocked to a recent health fair in the community room, eager for information about health matters like diabetes and heart disease, along with the necessary details about insurance options and Social Security benefits.
SHA Resident Services Coordinator Amy Santiago, who organized the May 24 event, said about 100 Riverview residents stopped by to have their blood pressure taken, their sugar levels checked, and to learn about potential changes to their health insurance and Social Security benefits.
Riverview is largely a housing development for elderly and handicapped persons, with 500 apartments for that population and another 40 for families. It is SHA’s largest development, located along the Connecticut River in the Brightwood section of the city.
Riverview residents line up for health care information.
Santiago said the health fair brought much-needed information to residents, and will be repeated yearly.
“There are so many services available, in many cases for free through people’s insurance, but they’re just not aware they exist,” explained Santiago.
“At the health fair, we were able to connect people with information and services that will be useful to them. I think people got a lot out of it,” she added.
SHA Resident Services Coordinator Amy Santiago organized the health fair at Riverview Apartments.
Among the 19 vendors who sent representatives were: Allied Health Systems, American Heart Association, Greater Springfield Senior Services, Caregiver Homes of Massachusetts, Brightwood City Library, AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts, La Esperanza, Valley Psychiatric Services, Peabody Resident Services, and the U.S. Social Security Administration of Springfield.
SHA Deputy Executive Director Nicole Contois called the health fair an unqualified success.
“With a health fair such as the one at Riverview, seniors are able to connect with all services they may need, and in one convenient place,” Contois said.
“Health care is a hard system to navigate and any help we can provide them is great. Amy did a great job,” she added.
Program Clerk Hellen Exposito and Amy Santiago work the health fair.
Contois noted that three SHA Resident Services employees are now certified SHINE counselors, meaning they are qualified to help elderly residents navigate their way through health care, insurance and Social Security issues. SHINE – Serving the Health Information of Others – is part of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
The three SHINE counselors at SHA are Santiago, Candra Cripps and Fidan Gousseynoff.
