Health fair helps area seniors link up with services

Going to the Liberty Senior Center saved Kleo Wight's emotional life.

After moving to Utah, Wight didn't know anybody and was very lonely. Although her family lives in the valley, they weren't close enough to just drop by anytime. One day a friend persuaded her to go to Liberty Senior Center, 251 E. 700 South, to play games, and after that she was hooked. Wight now goes to Liberty regularly to play games, have a hot meal, socialize and even volunteer.

On May 25, she joined other seniors from around the valley who went to Liberty for the 14th annual Senior Health and Resource Fair.

"I like the socialization (of the fair)," she said. "You just see a lot of people. I like that they do a lot of health-related kinds of things."

The fair is one of the largest in the county with 52 vendors and between 450-500 seniors attending the event, said Nancy Freeman, Liberty Senior Center manager.

Its aim is to help connect seniors with resources they may not be aware of. Some of the vendor booths included Social Security, University Hospital, Medicare, Utah Food Bank, Hospice Alliance, the Salt Lake City Library and Assist, a company that helps seniors adapt their houses for wheelchairs. One of the newer booths at the fair is Caregiver Support.

Over the next few years the population of aging and retired seniors is going to double as the baby boomers hit retirement age, said Kathy Nelson of Salt Lake County Aging Services, training specialist for caregiver support. Providing resources to help caregivers is essential as there will be more young working adults caring for their aging parents.

"We have people like a 72-year-old daughter caring for her 94-year-old mother," Nelson said. "We want to provide services both for those aging and those caring for the aging."

Nelson's aim with her booth was to help connect caregivers with resources to help them, such as respite care, training and classes offered at local libraries.

Sara Kuhn and Kay Robinson from the Salt Lake City Library system went to the fair hoping to help seniors discover library resources.

"We really want people to know we have programs . . . specifically for seniors," Robinson said, pointing out that some of the resources include large-print books and computer classes for seniors.

Don Hooper, public education coordinator for Intermountain Donor Services, sought to help seniors realize they can still donate organs if they're under 80, and they can even become live kidney donors.

Ken Venables, public relations coordinator for Salt Lake County Aging Services, encourages seniors to take the time to look into what resources are available to help them. A good number to start with is the information and referral line from Salt Lake County Aging Services at 468-2480.

"If Aging Services can't provide something, we know who to put seniors in touch with," he said.

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E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com