Day for health

Rebranded senior center preps expo

By the time the newly named Center for Active Aging in Deerfield Beach hosts the 17th annual Health and Wellness Expo on Oct. 21, the former Northeast Focal Point Senior Center will be nearly a month into its new identity as a campus for young and active seniors. That new identity will bring some changes to an event that has been as reliable as retirement for 16 years.

The vans that used to bring eye screenings from Aker Kasten and mammograms from Broward Health North are still gone, but vision screening is back after a long hiatus, courtesy of optometry students from Nova Southeastern University. And students from Nova’s physical therapy program will work one-on-one with attendees, teaching things like fall prevention.

Broward Health North is returning not with the Mammovan, but with a van hosting screenings for glucose, cholesterol and HIV.

“Basically, we had a name change. … It’s more intergenerational,” said Director Donna DeFronzo. The free event features door prizes, free health screenings, entertainment, and breakfast and lunch items available for purchase. Vendors are offering free screenings for balance, blood pressure, body mass index, carotid artery, cholesterol, glucose, hearing vision and skin cancer. Flu shots will be available to attendees who register in advance at 954-480-4449, courtesy of Walgreens.

“It’s going to be just as good as it has been in the past,” DeFronzo said.

The Center for Active Aging is located at 227 NW Second Street, Deerfield Beach. The 17th annual Health and Wellness Expo is Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For information about or to register, visit bit.ly /HealthWellnessExpoOct21 or call Cindy Towle at 954-480-4446.

eroberts@sun-sentinel .com