AARC Educates Seniors at AARP Event

October 13, 2010

Seniors learned a lot about their lung health from AARC members recently, as the Association hosted a booth at the AARP’s Orlando@50 Event, held Sept. 30–Oct. 2 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

AARC Associate Executive Director Steve Nelson encourages an attendee to give her best effort.

The three day event gave us a chance to perform spirometry screenings and visit with seniors about their respiratory medications and how best to take them. The fact that we were there with our partners in the Drive4COPD campaign and COPD Foundation boosted the traffic through the booth and presented even more opportunities for our members to connect with the seniors in attendance.

The COPD Foundation's "COPD Shuttle: Journey to the Center of the Lung" was a big hit with visitors. It will be at the AARC meeting as well.

Folks who came up in the “at risk” category after completing the Drive4COPD population screener (a simple, five-question quiz aimed at identifying people who may have COPD) were sent over to the AARC booth for simple spirometry and a dose of education about the condition and how it is treated.

Here’s the Lung Health Team repping for AARC at AARP.

The COPD Foundation’s new “COPD Shuttle: Journey to the Center of the Lung”  attraction drew the crowds as well, as attendees lined up to take a virtual ride through the human lungs.

Sheri Tooley Peters, right, prepares an attendee for her lung test.

AARC COO Tom Kallstrom, MBA, RRT, FAARC, joined COPD Foundation President John Walsh in giving a presentation about COPD to attendees as well, and country singer Patty Loveless, one of the Drive4COPD campaign’s celebrity sponsors, was also on hand to talk about the campaign and sing her new song, “DRIVE.”

Overall, AARC members performed more than 600 spirometry screenings during the event.