SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — For more than 15 years the Saratoga Senior Center has been putting on an event to connect the seniors in the community with individuals and resources, and to provide education programs.
This year, the Health and Lifestyle Fair brought together 31 vendors to connect with an estimated 200 seniors, sharing their knowledge and offering services in a range of sectors.
According to Executive Director Lois Celeste, the event has seen many evolutions in the many years the Senior Center has put it on. With there being many people with valuable businesses and services for the older adult population, Celeste shares that the Senior Center makes an effort to bring as many of these people as possible together so the seniors can come in, talk and learn with these individuals.
“Everybody has different needs, so to be able to provide easy access to financial, legal, health, real estate and things like that is really critical for us,” Celeste said. “The goal is to get as many people in the door, to learn as much as they can from some of our businesses and partners, and to provide services to our seniors.”
With World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, occurring annually on June 15, Celeste shares that the Senior Center takes special care to make Elder Abuse Awareness a part of this event. This year there was programming from the NYS Office for the Aging about scams that are run targeting elders as well as a presentation on Elder Abuse Awareness by Wellspring.
Eric Jacobsen, with the NYS Office for the Aging, gave a presentation that went through various scams, warning signs and scammer tactics, with a big emphasis on education and helping make people aware of what could happen. He shared that this event is important because it connects people and helps jump-start prevention tactics.
“This is where prevention begins, speaking to the people who are most likely to be targeted is incredibly crucial,” Jacobsen said. “It’s grassroots. You have to start with the people who are going to really be affected and potentially victimized. Fairs like these allow people to absorb things and take them back to their family and friends to share what they learn and keep one less scam from happening.”
The 31 vendors that attended the fair included regular partners who have attended the fair many times in the past as well as some who were taking part for the first time. Phillip Vacchio, senior attorney for Herzog Law, has taken part in the fair for several years and was at the fair giving out free legal advice to seniors.
Vacchio shares that a big part of Herzog Law is educating the people, and with its big presence in Saratoga County, it knows what a big resource the Saratoga Senior Center and enjoys taking part because the Fair connects the firm with people in the community and helps people be educated.
“The more education you have in different areas the more options you have and the more you can help your family,” Vacchio explained. “In our world with estate planning, getting your wills in place and trusts – people don’t know their options and people here are hungry for that information.”
“We’ll keep coming back, and we will always give as much as we can to the senior center.”
Along with the presentations and vendors, the fair also offered health screenings for the individuals who attended. Free blood pressure screenings were offered by Home of the Good Shepherd as well as fall prevention assessments and other wellness checks for people to take part in.
Celeste shared that this has been a core program for the Senior Center and something the Center tries to put on once a year because of what a benefit it is to those who attend. She hopes that all who attend the Health and Lifestyle Fair take away what they need and fill the gaps they may see in their life.
While there is no “one thing” all the seniors attending are looking for, Celeste hopes that everybody gets what they need.
More information about the resources and programs available through the Saratoga Senior Center is available at https://saratogaseniorcenter.org. The Saratoga Senior Center is located at 290 West Ave. Suite 1.
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