The free event at Silver Harbour gives attendees access to more than 30 vendors to help seniors navigate essential supports and services<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The second\u00a0Seniors\u00a0Expo<\/a> is taking shape at the new location of the Silver Harbour Seniors\u2019 Activity Centre this Saturday, with more than\u00a030 vendors as well as guest speakers on site.<\/p>\n Vendors this year vary from senior living residences and care providers to physiotherapists and experts in nutrition and supplements.<\/p>\n Anne-Marie Jamin, manager of community engagement and seniors programs at North Shore Community Resources, said the event comes at a time when\u00a0they\u2019re seeing seniors struggling to find supports and services.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be pretty tricky these days to navigate a lot of these really essential basic supports and needs that seniors have,\u201d she said. \u201cSo we\u2019re hoping to clarify around how to navigate some of these critical options.\u201d<\/p>\n On top of finding supports and services like housing, health and community care, seniors should also have\u00a0basic digital skills to apply for services and navigate online platforms\u00a0and know\u00a0how to spot scams, Jamin said.<\/p>\n Coast Capital\u2019s 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.\u00a0Her talk will also focus on protecting personal data, building confidence to access community services and staying connected with loved ones safely.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0retirement\u00a0and shifts in family roles, social circles and health experiences.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the times the stories that they\u2019re coming to us with are really rooted in attachment or that sense of feeling heard or understood, belonging,\u201d Donahue said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n There will also be talks about North Shore specific housing resources for seniors and Vancouver Coastal Health\u2019s Home and Community Care System.<\/p>\n Leading up to the Expo, Jamin hopes attendees walk away feeling more informed about where they\u00a0can go\u00a0for support.<\/p>\n \u201cEvents 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.”<\/p>\n North Shore Seniors Expo<\/p>\n When: Saturday, Oct. 24. noon-4 p.m.<\/p>\n Where: Silver Harbour Seniors\u2019 Activity Centre (the new location at 2325 St. Georges\u00a0Ave., North Vancouver).<\/p>\n Cost: Free<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n