Expo to offer help for seniors

HARLINGEN - Senior Expo this week offers much more than medical screening and health-care information, organizers said.

About 50 booths also will be offering information on topics including senior benefits, fitness, finances and investments, retirement living, cosmetics, travel and entertainment.

Free medical screenings will be offered. If you have Medicare and take your Medicare card with you, you can receive a free flu shot - while supplies last, organizers said.

Senior Expo is free and will be held Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the new Texas State Technical College Cultural Arts Center.

The center is at 1902 N. Loop 499 near the intersection with Raintree Street. The building is next to the parking lot of Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum.

The city of Harlingen's bus service, Harlingen Express, is offering free bus rides for seniors to and from the expo. For pick-up and drop-off locations call 1-800-574-8322 during regular business hours.

"We feel it is a valuable resource to seniors as well as caregivers of seniors," said Richard Guerrero, advertising director of the Valley Morning Star and chairman of the Senior Expo steering committee.

"We're bringing a lot of local businesses and community services together in one location. Seniors can go there and gather information on a wide variety of products and services in our community."

A trolley will take attendees to seminars at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum, where a free tour of the latest exhibits will also be offered, said Bruce Burgamy, steering committee member and executive director of Camelot Retirement Village.

"I think this is important for seniors to allow them to see and hear about opportunities and services and products that they might not be familiar with," Burgamy said.

Senior Expo is underwritten by Physicians Health Choice in cooperation with the Valley Morning Star and Texas State Technical College.