BAKER — Crestview residents Patsy and Clifford Bean were just a few of the residents who attended the Shady Grove Helping Hands Community Fair on Thursday at Shady Grove Assembly of God Church.
"We were just so impressed with what we learned," Patsy Bean said.
While learning about Medicare’s open enrollment — Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, the one chance to change health and prescription drug coverage for many Medicare-eligible residents — she learned about her rehabilitation options.
"I had a knee injury and I am facing surgery," she said. "I didn't know that, with some of these home health places, you could do your rehab at home."
Clifford Bean received a free landline phone,specialized for the hearing impaired, from CIL Disability Resource Center.
Baker resident Jim Melton, 73, also left the event reassured after receiving a good score from a memory test.
"I'm getting at that age where I need to know," he said. "I'm always interested in my health."
In addition to checking his blood pressure, Melton received information on hospice care for some elderly relatives.
"Someone told me it was really expensive, but a (vendor) in there told they would evaluate you at no cost," he said.
Connecting residents with necessary resources and information was the goal, said event organizer Paula Horton of Okaloosa Regional Home Health Services.
"There are resources out there; you just have to find them," she said.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Residents informed, ‘impressed’ during Baker health fair