SENIORS’ Housing FORUM
Seniors’ Housing Forum Helps Seniors age in Comfort
Having the ‘right’ place to live is something everyone frets over, but when it comes to seniors, the concerns are perhaps even more pronounced.
That’s why the Seniors’ Housing Forum is returning to Edmonton for its 11th year.
Taking place on Sept. 23 at the Central Lions Seniors Recreation Centre, this year’s forum will give attendees the opportunity to speak with close to 50 exhibitors and a dozen guest speakers about all manner of topics relating to helping seniors sort out their living arrangements as they age.
“When people leave at the end of the day, we want them to be aware of what resources and services exist, or at least where to go to find that information,” explained Karen McDonald, executive director with Sage Seniors Association, which puts on the forum in partnership with key community stakeholders.
The forum is open to anyone, be they family members or support providers, or seniors themselves at different points in their lives—whether they’re in their 60s and just starting the process of investigating their future, or in their 70s and 80s and ready to make a decision about their living situation, McDonald said.
What the forum hopes to achieve is open people’s eyes to the vast array of services and supports available to seniors and their families as they age and begin to consider how and where they will continue to live. This could mean supports to stay in their current home, or information about the many types of seniors housing available.
McDonald said the worst-case scenario is a senior or his or her family won’t think about the future and what it might entail (housing arrangements, support services, etc.) until it’s time to make that decision.
Coming to the forum now, before it’s time to actually make a decision, means you’ll be prepared when the time comes.
“Ideally people are coming to this event before there’s a crisis,” McDonald said.
Another benefit to attending is the chance to meet and speak with service providers one-on-one. There are myriad online resources available, but nothing beats being able to interact with someone and get more than one question answered at a time.
“I can’t think of any other opportunity where that’s the case,” McDonald said. “The ecosystem of services and supports and resources for seniors is quite large and quite complex. There are very few opportunities for seniors to come to a place where they can speak with someone face to face about those resources across multiple systems.”
Admission to the Seniors’ Housing Forum is free, but attendees are asked to register by calling 780-809-8604. The forum takes place Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the Central Lions Seniors Recreation Centre at 11113 113 St. NW.
For more information, visit www. mysage.ca/events/seniors-housingforum.