Health and Family Services Cabinet
Health Screenings, Family Services Information Available at State Fair; CHFS exhibit will be in South Wing B
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 10, 2009) – Visitors to the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville this month can get information to help their families’ well-being and health through free screenings and educational activities at the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) exhibit.
The highly interactive display, which will be located in the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center’s South Wing B, features health educators and family services information and encourages guests to make good lifestyle choices.
CHFS Secretary Janie Miller said her staff sees the fair as one of the agency’s best outreach opportunities, especially during the state’s uncertain economy.
“We are giving fair visitors the chance to learn more about the services we offer and how they might help provide families a hand up to self-sufficiency or a step toward better health,” she said.
Representatives from the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) will be at the fair every day, providing information and applications for KCHIP.
“KCHIP can make a huge difference for families who need health coverage for their children,” Miller said. “We hope we can reach many of those families at the fair.”
Miller said KCHIP and many other CHFS assistance programs, like child-care subsidies and services referred at public schools by family resource and youth services centers, can make a big difference toward family well-being.
“These are the programs that can help when families are facing barriers to better health and success,” Miller said. “Talking to our expert staff at the fair can be a beginning for a positive lifestyle change.”
The fair runs Thursday, Aug. 20, through Sunday, Aug. 30, and, with rotating exhibits at the CHFS display, visitors can learn something new every day.
Miller said many state programs offer support to people trying to stop smoking, be more active and make healthier food choices.
“Healthy choices like these are the root of preventing chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, which are so prevalent in our state,” Miller said. “When families, especially those with children, make these choices together, we have healthier homes and communities across the state.”
Expert staff will offer free daily blood pressure screenings, and body fat analysis will be available many days.
Bone density screenings for women will be offered on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Tobacco users who want to learn more about quitting can visit the fair on Sunday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 29, when staff from the tobacco cessation program can provide counseling. Also on Aug. 23, staff from the chronic disease program will provide spirometry screenings, which test lung function.
Smoking is the No. 1 cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Secondhand smoke is one of the primary triggers for asthma.
Screenings are not a replacement for regular doctor visits, but they may indicate a concern to discuss in greater detail with a health care professional.
The exhibit also will feature information on recognizing and preventing abuse, finding quality child care and preventing prescription drug abuse. Other programs highlighted include diabetes education, childhood lead poisoning prevention, service opportunities and the Special Needs Adoption Program.
Elder Kentuckians will be in the spotlight on Tuesday, Aug. 25, when staff from the Department for Aging and Independent Living, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman’s Office and the Adult Safety Branch will answer questions.
Also in the South Wing, the cabinet’s Nutrition Services Branch staff will assist visitors with the Rock and Relax room, sponsored by Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness and Baptist East Hospital. Parents can stop by to privately and comfortably nurse, feed or change their infants and learn about breastfeeding and baby safety.
Cabinet staff from Jefferson County’s Department for Community Based Services will assist with the Wednesday’s Child booth, located in the South Wing, to recruit adoptive families.
Listed below is a calendar of daily and featured programs.
Exhibit buildings at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center are open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Advance discount tickets, purchased at Kroger, are $6 for adults and $2 for seniors 55 and older and children ages 3 to 12. Beginning Aug. 20, tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children and seniors. Children 2 and younger get in free. Parking is $6 per vehicle.
For more information, visit kystatefair.org.
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services 2009 State Fair Schedule
Daily Programs
• Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) Enrollment Information
• Blood Pressure Monitoring and Counseling
• Abuse Prevention and Reporting
Featured Programs
Thursday, Aug. 20
• Physical Activity/Osteoporosis/Arthritis
• Environmental Lead/Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs
Friday, Aug. 21
• Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
• Regulated Child Care – Keeping Children Safe in Child Care
Saturday, Aug. 22
• Special Needs Adoption Program Information and Recruitment
• Women’s Health
• Free Osteoporosis Information and Bone Density Screening (for women 18 and older only)
• Free Body Fat Analysis Screening
Sunday, Aug. 23
• Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Screening and Counseling
• Tobacco Cessation
• AmeriCorps and Family Resource Centers
Monday, Aug. 24
• Environmental Health - Professional Recruitment
• Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Colon Cancer Prevention
Tuesday, Aug. 25 (Senior Day)
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman
• Physical Activity/ Osteoporosis/Arthritis
• Adult Protective Services
• Free Body Fat Analysis Screening
Wednesday, Aug. 26
• Environmental Lead/Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs
• Nutrition
• Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Thursday, Aug. 27
• Division of Child Care – Choosing Quality Child Care and STARS for KIDS NOW
• Free Body Fat Analysis Screening
• Emergency Preparedness and Pandemic (Swine) Flu Information
Friday, Aug. 28
• Diabetes
• Division of Child Care – Choosing Quality Child Care and STARS for KIDS NOW
• Women’s Health
• Free Body Fat Analysis Screening
Saturday, Aug. 29
• Special Needs Adoption Program
• Tobacco Cessation
• Substance Abuse Prevention; “Walk the Line” with DUI Goggles
Sunday, Aug. 30
• Substance Abuse Prevention; “Walk the Line” with DUI Goggles
• Health Equity Information
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