Adults in Williams Lake were being enticed to an Elder Abuse Prevention Event on June 15 at the Williams Lake Seniors Recreation Centre.
Cake and door prizes were up for grabs as service providers hosted displays to showcase all the services aimed at supporting older adults and their families in the community.
The Williams Lake & District Credit Union had information on powers of attorney, fraud prevention and estate planning, city of Williams Lake’s emergency preparedness and response personnel were providing information on being ready for evacuations and emergency planning -including how to plan for pets, and Interior Health was there with information on how to deal with heat stress and other issues. Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy was providing information on their many programs, which include assisting those who need help with technology like tablets or computers, financial literacy and budgeting and also providing opportunities for seniors to use their wealth of experience and knowledge to support others through tutoring English as a second language students or others.
The Women’s Contact Society had information on their various food programs, family law advocacy, assistance with Old Age Pension Applications, rental supplements and grief and loss counselling.
Aboriginal Victim Services was providing information on counselling, support for navigating the court system, and rides for those in remote communities for a range of reasons.
An Alzheimer Society volunteer was giving out information for caregivers and patients with cognitive difficulties and promoting the local Caregivers Support Group for the Alzheimer Society which meets once a month to provide support for those taking care of someone with dementia or Alzheimers.
The Williams Lake Hospice Society was selling copies of their fundraiser cookbook Meals and Memories and seeds to plant in memory of a loved one. The organization also had information on their many services, including advanced care planning, wills and estate planning, resources for caregivers as well as information on their Elder College course.
The Canadian Mental Heath Association was giving away bookmarks and engaging with visitors on how they were doing. The CMHA had information and resources on how to respond to elder abuse, financial abuse information and the warning signs of abuse and suicide prevention.
The BC Community Response Networks had information on reducing the risk of abuse in older adults and how to respond to abuse. Better at Home had information on transportation for seniors, visiting services, grocery shopping, lawn maintenance and snow shovelling.
READ MORE: Williams Lake Seniors Recreation Centre invites community to Elder Abuse Awareness event
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