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NEWS RELEASE

October 2, 2007

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Learn how to stay active, have fun and enjoy a healthier lifestyle

50+EXPO Offers “Your Passport to Wellness"

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County’s 50+EXPO for 2007 features “Your Passport to Wellness” and a wealth of information to help adults make better personal choices when it comes to their health. The annual EXPO is free and will be held on Friday, October 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia.

New this year is a “Stay Active” room where individuals 50+ and younger adults with disabilities can learn more about health-related programs to meet their needs. Learn about “Living Well,” a chronic disease self-management program--an initiative of the Office on Aging’s new Health & Wellness Division. Pharmacists and nutritionists will be on hand to answer your questions as well.

The “Focus on Fitness” area will have demonstrations and opportunities to participate in a variety of recreational and exercise classes including Hatha Yoga, Tai Chi, Tap Dance Your Way to Fitness, Pilates and Energize Interval Training.

Flu and pneumonia vaccinations will be available to those aged 50 years and older and persons under the age of 50 with underlying chronic medical conditions. If you are under 50, you must bring a doctor’s note or prescription bottles to verify qualifying medical conditions. The cost of the flu vaccination is $25 per injection and the pneumonia vaccine cost $30 per injection; both vaccines are free to those who participate in Medicare Part B (recipients must show Medicare Card for free vaccine.)

Visit the Alternative Care Fair and attend one of the seminars like “Gardening for the Health of It,” “The Causes and Effects of Hearing Loss,” or “The Multiple Elements of Wellness.” Howard County General Hospital will sponsor the popular “Healthy Aging” series, and St. Agnes Hospital will sponsor “Ask the Experts.”

For more information, call the 50+EXPO hotline at 410-313-6406 or TTY: 410-313-5927. You can also visit the county’s website at www.howardcountymd.gov and click on the 50+EXPO logo. Sign language interpreters are available for the hearing impaired, but requests must be received by October 10 by calling MD Access Point of Howard County at 410-313-5980 or TTY 410-313-5927.