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Navigating all the different supports and services for seniors can be tough, but an expo returning to North Vancouver this weekend aims to have everything under one roof.
The second Seniors Expo is taking shape at the new location of the Silver Harbour Seniors’ Activity Centre this Saturday, with more than 30 vendors as well as guest speakers on site.
Vendors this year vary from senior living residences and care providers to physiotherapists and experts in nutrition and supplements.
Anne-Marie Jamin, manager of community engagement and seniors programs at North Shore Community Resources, said the event comes at a time when they’re seeing seniors struggling to find supports and services.
“It can be pretty tricky these days to navigate a lot of these really essential basic supports and needs that seniors have,” she said. “So we’re hoping to clarify around how to navigate some of these critical options.”
On top of finding supports and services like housing, health and community care, seniors should also have basic digital skills to apply for services and navigate online platforms and know how to spot scams, Jamin said.
Coast Capital’s financial education manager Brenda Mah will lead lead a talk about digital safety and recognizing common online frauds and scams at this year’s expo. Her talk will also focus on protecting personal data, building confidence to access community services and staying connected with loved ones safely.
Registered clinical counsellors Morgan Donahue and Viktoriya Fedorchuk will also hold a talk on emotional connection and well-being touching, exploring the changes that can come up as people age, including retirement and shifts in family roles, social circles and health experiences.
“We felt that this would be a really relatable topic because we all need connection, we all have relationships in some way, shape or form,” said Donahue, adding that relationships are even more important as people age and experience shifts in identity and purpose.
Donahue said she wanted to hold the talk after noticing common themes in what seniors have been saying about emotional well-being over the last decade.
“A lot of the times the stories that they’re coming to us with are really rooted in attachment or that sense of feeling heard or understood, belonging,” Donahue said. “I hope folks leave [the talk] with a greater appreciation of just how important connection is, but also a better understanding of what connection means to them on a personal level.”
There will also be talks about North Shore specific housing resources for seniors and Vancouver Coastal Health’s Home and Community Care System.
Leading up to the Expo, Jamin hopes attendees walk away feeling more informed about where they can go for support.
“Events like this are valuable for seniors, but also strengthen the network around them,” said Jamin. “The more connected organizations are to one another, the better we can make referrals, identify gaps and help someone get the right support.”
North Shore Seniors Expo
When: Saturday, Oct. 24. noon-4 p.m.
Where: Silver Harbour Seniors’ Activity Centre (the new location at 2325 St. Georges Ave., North Vancouver).
Cost: Free
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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