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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
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Resource book to be given away at Ageless Expo
Staff Writer For all the elderly out there, wouldn't it be nice to have all the resources you need right at your fingertips?
Well, Saturday may be your lucky day if you are able to get out to the 11th annual Ageless Expo Saturday at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. For the first time ever, the Crow Wing County Senior Heath Care and Care Giving Resource Directory will be handed out to participants.
DeAnn Barry, senior center director, said a resource directory was put together after a Brainerd for a Lifetime initiative found that a directory was needed in the Brainerd lakes area. Brainerd for a Lifetime's goal is to identify where the Brainerd community is falling short and what must occur to affect change in each of the areas of health care and care giving opportunities, safety and security, transportation and walkability and housing.
If you go
What: 2009 Ageless Expo.
When: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19.
Where: Forestview Middle School in Baxter.
Cost: Free.
Sponsors: Lakes Area Senior Activity Center, KLKS Radio, Brainerd Community Education and the Brainerd Dispatch.
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The resource directory includes information and phone numbers related to senior citizen issues, including home care, health care, transportation, volunteering opportunities, assisted living facilities, long-term care, prescription drugs, Medicare, dining programs and everyday things, like finding someone who does repairs around the home.
"A directory like this has never been available in Brainerd," said Barry. "There was not one complete list of all these agencies in one book. Seniors had to look at various books and talk to several different people before finding what they need. This directory has it all."
The directory will be handed out at the Ageless Expo and only a limited number of hard copies will be available. However, the directory may be found viewed Online at brainerd.com/lifetime.
Barry said the directory is not only for seniors, but also for caregivers or adult children planning for their parent's future. Barry said an adult child may live out of state of in the Twin Cities metro area and their parents live in the Brainerd lakes area and if they need to check out what assisted living facilities there are in the area, for example, the directory would be of great help.
"The children could see the list of facilities and the phone numbers to make it easier to contact each of the places," said Barry. "They can do their homework and get it done, instead of taking a lot of vacation time visiting the facilities."
Gland Berndt volunteered her time at the senior center to type all the data into the directory.
Berndt said, "This directory is wonderful. I love it. I learned a lot on health care. There is so much content in there that I didn't even know existed."
But the directory will not be your only reason to come check out the Ageless Expo, which will run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., andt is free to the public.
The expo - sponsored by the Lakes Area Senior Activity Center, KLKS Radio, Brainerd Community Education and the Brainerd Dispatch - will consist of several exhibitors representing businesses and organizations offering information for seniors. Several seminars also will be offered.
Barry said one of the important topics this year for seniors will be swine flu. Barry said fact sheets about swine flu will be shared at the expo.
"It's scary," said Barry. "They say 40 to 50 percent of the population could get this. That's what they're predicting."
Expo participants also will have a chance to hear about several senior topics and have the opportunity to attend a variety of 30-minute to one-hour classes. Classes include information about the Senior LinkAge Line, chest pain and depression.
Entertainment will keep participants hopping at the expo with the musical sounds of the Diane Saumner Guide which will perform at 11 a.m.; Paulette Berry will be on the piano at noon; and Country Swingers, a line dancing group, will perform at 1 p.m.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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