Our Residents
Blood pressure clinics offer free screening for SHA residents
Sergeo Cedeno was happy to have his blood pressure checked as a way to ensure he remains healthy and free of stroke risk.
And the check-up was done right where he lives – at Central Apartments on Central Street.
“It helps me to stay healthy and to know that I’m doing okay,” said Cedeno. “I know how important this is.”
Central Apartments resident Sergeo Cedeno has his blood pressure read by Porchlight Home Care Nurse Case Manager Bernadette Duncan.
The free blood pressure checks done recently at Central are part of an ongoing healthy living program underway at housing for elderly and disabled tenants across the Springfield Housing Authority Community. The program is offered by Porchlight Home Care, one of many agencies that SHA Resident Services Coordinator Candra Cripps is working with to showcase health care options.
Blood pressure screenings, just one of the health-oriented offerings organized by Resident Services, were also held last month at Gentile, Jennie Lane, Morris, Riverview and Tri-Towers. The service is open to all residents at those developments.
“We feel it’s important that our residents keep in touch with their health, and understand various health issues,” Cripps said. “We also want them to know that in terms of home health care, there are options out there for them.”
Porchlight Nurse Case Manager Bernadette Duncan said the blood pressure screenings serve as an alert to people who might be at risk, and may not even know it. She said those with high readings are referred to their doctors or to health care facilities.
“A lot of the people we screen are already on high blood pressure medication, so it’s a matter of monitoring,” she said. “It’s always a good thing to check.”
Porchlight Home Care Nurse Case Manager Bernadette Duncan takes a reading on Central Apartments resident Jose Machado.
Central Resident Jose Machado agreed.
“I want to keep track of my blood pressure to make sure I’m healthy,” Machado said. “If there’s something like this going on at Central, I’ll be here for sure.”
