Local residents took advantage of free screenings last week as part of the Tellico Village Lions Club’s monthly health fair at the Good Samaritan Center in Lenoir City.
In total, 17 people stopped by for vision, glucose and blood pressure checks, with all but one referred to the optometrist on site, Lions Club past president Curt Isakson said. That attendance was right around average for the amount of people who typically visit the monthly screenings, he said, noting about 15-20 tend to stop by each month.
“It’s been very popular here, and people are beginning to show up just to have their eyes checked,” Isakson said. “So it’s gotten to the point where I think we’re almost seeing an increase in the number of people who need glasses each time because people know we’re here, and they’re coming in specifically to have their eyes checked to see if they could get glasses.”
Dr. Dennis Benedict, an optometrist, is available on site for each screening to provide a full exam on residents. Isakson said Benedict’s services have been utilized the past 1 1/2 years the health fair has been offered at the Good Samaritan Center. For those needing glasses, Isakson said they can pick up their pair from the center within a week’s time period instead of having to travel to a different location.
“That has been a huge difference,” Isakson said. “We’ve been running this program I think ever since the Lions were here, and we had difficulty because people would call, we would make the arrangements, make an appointment, and it was difficult for people to get to do the appointments, so a number of people that we were actually getting glasses for was very, very small. Most of it was because they didn’t have the means to get around.
“A lot of these people when they come in their families are people that know each other, so they help each other with transportation and stuff,” he added. “It makes it much, much easier for them.”
While visitors can request specific services, Isakson said the Lions Club encourages each type of screening.
“If they don’t want to do their blood sugar or their blood pressure they don’t have to, but we encourage them to because we do find a few people whose blood sugars are high and need to be taken care of, and we do find people who have high blood pressure who need to see a doctor,” Isakson said. “Those are not as frequent, anywhere near as frequent, as the vision.”
Good Samaritan Center Executive Director Karen Bowdle said she was “humbled” by the sheer need for the Lions Club’s screening services in the community.
“(That’s) one of the things that is so needed,” she said. “I heard a woman in the hallway this morning just expressing her gratitude for the glasses that she was picking up, that before she got that eye exam, she could barely see to read the paper, to read a recipe, to read a prescription bottle, and now she was able to see and that ability can change your life. It can save your life if it comes to reading medicine bottle and the instructions about things.”
Lenoir City resident Johnny Lee said she visited the health fair for the first time, and she stopped by to try to get glasses.
“It’s really nice, especially for people who can’t afford to go to the doctor and stuff like that,” Lee said.
Similarly, Loudon resident David Brown said he too wanted to try to get glasses, and the Lions Club’s free monthly health screenings helped make it possible.
“When you’re with (a) fixed income you can’t afford no money (for appointments),” Brown said. “I got my disability check. When I pay my bills and stuff, I’m broke.”
The next health fair is scheduled 3:30-6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Good Samaritan Center, Bowdle said. Each month, the center alternates the screenings between Tuesdays and Thursdays.
