Aging Strong brings senior-focused providers together in one place, connecting older adults, caregivers and families with health, financial, housing and community support.
Grandparents who take on the responsibility of raising their children’s children often have a heart for filling gaps others may see as beyond their responsibility. As someone who was raised by her grandmother, I understand that stepping into that role can come with challenges others may never face or see.
Kris Schara sees those challenges throughout the Spring Lake community. She recalled grandparents raising six grandchildren whose stove stopped working. The family had attended a previous Senior Expo and received contact information for a resource they believed could help, but by the time they needed it, the card had been misplaced.
The connection, however, was still there.
Connecting seniors and caregivers with resources does not begin and end with one expo. Through the Spring Lake Recreation Center & Senior Center, Schara remains connected with organizations serving the community throughout the year. When the family returned looking for help, she knew who they were trying to reach and reconnected them with the resource they had first encountered through the expo. The family ultimately received a replacement stove.
“There are resources out there for them, and I don’t think they realize it,” Schara said of grandparents raising grandchildren.
Those connections fuel the purpose behind Aging Strong: Seniors & Caregivers Resource Expo, a day designed to give seniors, caregivers and families access to support they may not realize is available and resources they can return to as their needs change.
Aging Strong will be held Friday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Spring Lake Recreation Center & Senior Center, 245 Ruth St. The free event requires no registration and is designed for seniors 55 and older, family caregivers, grandparents raising grandchildren, adults planning for healthy aging and others seeking senior-focused resources.
For some seniors and caregivers, simply knowing where to begin can be difficult. Different needs can mean different agencies, providers and locations, creating another barrier to finding help.
Schara said the expo is expected to bring roughly 40 providers and organizations into one room, offering support in health and wellness, Medicare and insurance, housing, legal and financial planning, home health care, senior living, caregiver support, memory care and dementia services, veteran resources and assistance for grandparents raising grandchildren.
“Having everything in one spot at one time makes it easier,” Schara said.
There is another consideration: knowing whom to trust.
As Medicare enrollment season approaches, seniors may find themselves sorting through television commercials, mailers, phone calls and offers promising coverage or benefits. Aging Strong allows attendees to speak directly with providers, ask questions and receive information without having to determine on their own whether someone is simply trying to make a sale.
“This is just a safe place for them to share their information or get an honest answer,” Schara said.
Attendees can expect health and wellness screenings, blood pressure checks, balance assessments, fall-prevention information, Medicare guidance, caregiver education, housing resources, legal and financial planning, memory and dementia support and veteran services. The expo will also include a medication drop box, mini workshops, healthy-aging demonstrations, light refreshments, door prizes and giveaways.
Schara pointed to Meals on Wheels as another resource people may misunderstand. She said some seniors believe they must be homebound to benefit from the program. The Spring Lake center also serves as a congregate meal site, where seniors can receive lunch during the week. She recalled two couples who connected with home-delivered meals through a previous expo.
Seniors are at the center of Aging Strong, but caregivers and adult children caring for aging parents may also find themselves searching for support they have never needed before.
Someone walking through the doors Sept. 25 may come looking for information without realizing that months later, a conversation, business card or familiar face from that day could become the connection they need in a situation they never expected to face.
Aging Strong: Seniors & Caregivers Resource Expo is Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Spring Lake Recreation Center & Senior Center, 245 Ruth St. Admission is free and no registration is required. For more information, contact Schara at 910-433-1121 or kristineschara@fayettevillenc.gov.
Vendor spaces are still available at no charge. Organizations or service providers offering resources for seniors or caregivers can contact Schara directly about participating.