Senior Expo & Town Hall 2020: Huge Success Connecting the Community

This year Pruett Gerontology Center at ACU proudly co-hosted the 2020 Abilene Senior Health Expo Event and Town Hall Lunch! The expo catered to about 325 older adults and others with an interest in aging, featuring a diverse group of vendors all catering to the interests of healthy living in later life. Students from ACU were also present, volunteering as moderators and booths to better serve the guests.

During the Town Hall lunch, Texas Representative Stan Lambert gave a speech encouraging older adults that their input and opinions are important. Older adults were then given an opportunity to fill out a survey provided by the PGC, asking questions about their needs that the government could better address. ACU students served as moderators at each table helping to facilitate discussion and record the senior’s important issues.

Several ACU students going into health-related fields (Occupational Therapy, Kinesiology) volunteered at the PGC booth, providing free health screenings and giving input about health-related questions/concerns for older adults. ACU Kinesiology students also provided a “Key Nutrients for Older Adults” workshop, which helped explain how older adults can live healthier and better lives by focusing on eating nutritious foods.

Vendors from all over Big Country connected with older adults in our area with this unique opportunity to highlight their services. Some ranged from health services, while others had home renovational/modifying services.

Director of the Pruett Gerontology Center, Dr. Suzie Macaluso, engaged with older adults at the event and explained the purpose of PGC and aging studies research. 

This event is one that will not soon be forgotten. PGC is proud of the teamwork and cooperation of all the student volunteers who helped make this event possible.