Hope Legion was buzzing with activities at the Aging Well Expo last Saturday (June 14) as 16 local organizations set up tables to answer questions, share information, and offer useful tips on staying active and healthy.
Handy giveaway items that seniors found helpful were happily received, such as mini flashlights, pocket-size notebooks, pens and more. Free healthy food was available to all attendees all day. This included fresh fruit cups, muffins and beverages in the morning and samples of meatballs, turkey soup and desserts in the afternoon. The mood was calm and peaceful and provided a friendly atmosphere for seniors to discover all the services and programs available in Hope.
The operative word was "healthy" with both the food being offered, and the presentations focusing on seniors living well.
The first presentation, by the B.C. Community Response Networks, highlighted isolation and emphasized the importance of inclusion and how it is especially important for seniors. The second presentation by Fraser Health Authority shared information about nutrition and recognizing false claims about healthy food products. Envision Financial’s presentation was about recognizing scams and fraud, and how to protect one’s assets from clever thieves online and by phone.
There was also a chair yoga demonstration that was designed for seniors who want to get fit and stay fit with other seniors, in a gentle, positive way.
Organizers are planning to turn the expo into an annual event. The goal is to ensure that seniors are aware of all the wonderful, helpful and healthy resources that are available locally, and mostly for free, in Hope.
The event was hosted by Hope Community Services, who partnered with Fraser Health Authority and the B.C. Community Response Networks, in honour of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. Sponsorship was also provided by Envision Financial.
This will be an annual event so be sure to keep an eye out for news next year! And remember, the key to aging and living well is inclusion. And that starts with simply saying "hello!"
