Unison at Kerby Centre hosting its 31st annual Seniors’ Expo

A seniors’ expo in Calgary is aiming to provide important information for people retiring soon, seniors and their families.

It’s quite a bit different than the Calgary Expo, but the Seniors’ Expo is billed as a one-stop shop for people 50 years old and up.

Unison at Kerby Centre will host 78 different vendors. Organizers say in past years more than 2,000 people attended the one-day event.

Andres Gutieerez, Unison’s corporate development officer, is organizing the Expo and says the idea behind the event is to connect seniors to what they need now and also help family members who are caring for their senior parents.

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“The goal of Seniors’ Expo is to bring those services, bring those programs, bring those organizations that are working to improve the lives of seniors,” he said.

“My message to everyone is, ‘Hey, come to Seniors’ Expo and get informed,’ (but it’s also for those who are) getting ready for retirement because you think it will be all just about golfing and saving money, but it’s way more than that.”

The Kerby Centre is also showcasing some of the programs that it offers.

Larry Mathieson, president and CEO of the centre, says one of the focuses is to help people in their 50s who are caring for their parents realize that they’re not alone and there is a lot of help available to them.

“There’s a huge need for seniors housing out there, but the reality is on any given day in Alberta, only about five per cent of seniors actually are in some type of residence, the majority are living in their homes,” he said.

“So we’ve started to tailor more of our services not only to the 65-plus but their adult children who are supporting them.”

Mathieson says Kerby has support groups for caregivers and Expo visitors can learn about in-home support companies that help ease the burden for those adult children.

“Getting to know people who are in their 50s who have senior parents and offering programs that are relevant to them is a key for us for sure,” he said.

Mathieson says estate lawyers are also setting up information booths at the Expo to help people navigate their retirement. The centre is also highlighting some of its key resources, like its food bank, which is the province’s only seniors-specific food bank.

“Some of the lesser-known things out in our community are our elder abuse shelter as well as we do outreach for elder abuse,” he said.

“We actually have a booth (showing the) kind of work we do, not only on our own but in partnership with other agencies in the city here.”

The event runs Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn more about the expo on Unison Alberta’s website.