Department on Aging Invites Seniors and Their Families to Attend Activities at the Illinois State Fair

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) will host activities for seniors and their families to attend during the Illinois State Fair, which runs August 10 - 19.  IDoA is offering a lineup of special events in the senior center, which is the air conditioned setting of the Illinois Building located near the main gate of the fairgrounds.  Attendees 60 years of age and older will be admitted to the fair for free, on Senior Day which is Monday August 13.

“Department staff and our partners are excited to host this year’s activities during the State Fair,” said IDoA Director John K. Holton, Ph.D.  “We look forward to the fun while also offering information and services to benefit older adults and their families.”  

Some of the programs include the Community Care Program, elder abuse prevention and more.  Additional information will be offered to seniors and their families during the fair including presentations about Medicare, presented August 11 (by Blue Cross Blue Shield) and August 13 (by Humana.)

Seniors and their families gear up for fun when they compete in time proven favorites.  On Senior Day (August 13) couples 50 years of age and older test how much they really know about their spouse in the “NOT SO Newlywed Game.”  And the “Grandparent Grandchild Contest” returns August 16 when judges score participants on resemblance, costumes, talent and interviews.  To pre-register for the contests, call (217) 785-3390. 

Free screenings are offered each day during the fair by St. John's Hospital, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, and the Illinois Lion’s Club.  Free screenings include:

• Body Composition    
• Blood Pressure/Stroke
• Blood Sugar/Glucose
• Cholesterol Diabetic Eye Testing  
• Health/Weight
• Hearing
• Heart Risk Assessments
• Mental Health
• Overactive Bladder
• Pulmonary Function
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Skin Cancer (Derma Scan)

The Illinois Department on Aging thanks representatives from the state agencies and private companies who will be on hand during the entire fair to provide information about services to help older adults.  They include:

• The Office of the Attorney General
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield?of Illinois  
• Humana
• Illinois Assistive Technology Project and Battery Specialists
• Illinois Bee Keepers?      
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
• Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
• Illinois Department of Employment Security
• Illinois Department of Human Services
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• Illinois Emergency Management Agency
• Illinois Lion’s Club
• Illinois State Employees Retirees Association
• Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
• Logan County Senior Center Bingo
• Prairie Heart Institute
• The Office of the Secretary of State
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• United States Social Security Administration
• Watkins Home Products

For more information about the Department on Aging, call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 (or TTY for the hearing impaired at 888-206-1327), or log on to the website at www.state.il.us/aging.