PORT TOWNSEND — A considerable depth and breadth of health care options are available on the North Olympic Peninsula — and many people are unaware of them, according to an organizer of Saturday’s Jefferson County Wellness and Safety Fair.
“There is the idea around here that people have to travel to Seattle or Bremerton to get treatment for their illnesses,” said Sandy Boughner, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Sequim.
“But that’s not true because we have a wide range of services that people don’t even know about.”
To bridge that educational gap, Boughner — along with Heaven Gregg of the Olympic Area Agency on Aging and Sandi Bird of Life Care Centers — founded the fair, now in its fourth year.
The fair takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the USO Hall at Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way.
Admission is free.
“A lot of people are worried when they move here that they will have no access to services if something happens,” Boughner said.
“They say, ‘What am I going to do if I get seriously ill or there is a natural disaster?’ but the quality of services here is very high.”
More than 40 vendors
More than 40 local vendors — including health care providers, care facilities, food vendors and alternative-treatment providers — will offer information about services and options.
Several vendors will offer free screening services for hearing, vision and other health issues.
Three speakers will make presentations at the fair throughout the day:
■ 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Sleep specialist Dr. Jakdej Nikomborirak will present information on sleep apnea and other related diseases.
■ 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. — Dr. Steven Reiner of the Port Townsend Foot an Ankle Clinic will discuss foot care and its relation to diabetes.
■ 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Attorney Chuck Henry will offer advice about wills, trusts and other legal issues facing seniors.
The combination of alternative- and traditional-care options available in Jefferson County is a positive thing, Boughner said.
“In Port Townsend, the holistic and the medical communities work together, which is unique,” she said.
“You don’t see that in many other communities.”
For its first three years, the fair was held at Blue Heron Middle School.
Its relocation to Fort Worden is meant to encourage greater public and vendor participation.
Boughner has no attendance projections for this year’s fair but hopes it will draw more than the 200 people who attended last year.
Boughner said the high percentage of senior citizens in the area elevates the quality of health care for everyone, since important issues are being addressed.
“We have some excellent dementia care facilities here, and there are plans to open other speciality clinics,” she said.
The Wellness Fair is sponsored by Jefferson Healthcare, Home Instead Health Care, Discovery Memory Care, The Food Co-op and Peninsula Daily News.
For more information, phone 360-681-2511.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.