THE Palms Geriatric Home yesterday held its mini-health fair in observance of Month of The Elderly, in the compound of the Palms. 

According to Probation and Social Services Officer, Harriet Mc Kenzie-Wong, the health fair is held in October every year by The Palms.

She noted that following a series of activities which began earlier this month for the elderly, the health fair was set up so that elders could get various check-ups to keep abreast with their state of health.
At the fair, various services were offered to the elderly, some of which included testing for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), counselling, random blood-sugar testing and physiotherapy.
Wong also stated that this is just another way of giving back to some of the elderly people who served Guyana as loyal citizens for many years.

Since the Month of the Elderly was launched in October 2010, the elderly now have the chance to be happy and enjoy a month filled with activities.
Speaking with the Chronicle, some of the elders expressed their gratitude and appreciation for this venture,
Some of them were extremely overjoyed, because they now have a month in honour of them and they noted how thankful they are to the Government for implementing this.
An elderly woman noted that the health fair gave her a chance to check on her health; she noted that she wasn’t even aware of how high her blood pressure was until she checked it, because she wasn’t experiencing any symptoms of the sort.
They encouraged The Palms to continue the good work that they are doing, and they hope this venture could go on for a very long time.
The Palms Geriatric Institution is the safe home for senior citizens, providing a shelter so that those in care there could enjoy their golden years, but also offers the type and quality of meals to maintain proper health.
The roots of the institution date back to 1874 when it was established as the “Alms House” under British colonial rule. The Brickdam institution is fully funded by the Government of Guyana and is administered by the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security.
Renamed “The Palms” in 1974, the institution provides free services to destitute senior citizens, and is the only such institution in the country.

(By Navendra Seoraj)