The Island's largest fair tailored for seniors with products and services to promote healthy aging will take place at Beban Park this month.
Entering its 13th year, Nanaimo's Seniors Health and Wellness Fair will feature health talks, a flu clinic, door prizes and more than 60 exhibitors, including the Canada Revenue Agency, Island Health, local non-profits, for-profits, meal delivery services and more.
Teresa Ostman, president of the Nanaimo Seniors Services Network which organizes the annual event, said it's an opportunity for seniors to get various pieces of information relevant to them in one place.
"We're a networking group, so we're businesses, organizations and individuals that have products and services for seniors," Ostman said. "This is really the only event we have for the public and it gives our members an opportunity to exhibit and display products and services for seniors."
Four information presentations will be throughout the event. Beginning at 11 a.m. is Help Through Life's Greatest Challenges. Being delivered by the Nanaimo Community Hospice Society, the presentation is aimed at grief and loss.
"As we get older we all experience grief and loss of some sort, but it's also to help us deal with grief and … to help others. Often our family members are suffering, it could be loss of a loved one, or loss of a pet, loss of independence – that sort of thing," Ostman explained.
The second, held at noon, is Nutrition and Healthy Aging. Delivered by Laura Dias, a public health dietitian with Island Health, Dias will discuss the importance of balanced nutrition when it comes to aging.
"So many seniors fall into that tea and toast syndrome, because it's easy to make that, and they're not getting their proper nutrition. So we're thrilled to have Island Health presenting on that."
At 1 p.m. the Canada Revenue Agency will be presenting on the tax benefits applicable for seniors after a similar presentation at last year's event.
"It was really well-received. People came out of there and said, 'I didn't know about some of these benefits,'" Ostman said. "We're really excited the federal government actually has this kind of a service where they have officers going out into the community and educating people."
The fourth and final presentation of the day takes place at 2 p.m. Overcome Loneliness and Isolation with Activities and Volunteering will have several local groups involved including Volunteer Nanaimo as well as the Labieux Seniors Centre. Ostman said this talk addresses the recurring problem of isolation reported by local seniors.
"COVID really made it so much more difficult for people and really increased loneliness and isolation. People are just really starting to come out and feel comfortable to go out again, but they really don't know where to go or what to do," she said. "So we're presenting the health benefits of being active in the community and volunteering, then some of the exhibitors will be doing a bit of a presentation on how to get involved with different seniors' activities and volunteering."
While the fair is tailored for seniors, Ostman said anyone is welcome to attend the free event.
"Obviously the exhibitors are there because they have products and services to seniors, but we're all aging and healthy aging really should start before you're 65 and magically go, 'I better get it together now.'"
The event is being held Thursday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Beban Park Social Centre.
A list of exhibitors and information is available at www.nssn.ca.
