Expo held for seniors to help guide a healthy, fulfilled lifestyle
Senior citizens are emerging as the fastest-growing demographic in Simcoe County, and as thousands enter that next chapter of their lives, many are left wondering what the journey holds.
Lakehead University and Age-Friendly Orillia welcomed more than 300 community members on Wednesday to a free expo to connect seniors to service providers and activity-based programming.
"Aging comes fast, and you need to have a community that's aware of the need to support people as they are," said Age-Friendly Orillia's co-chair and founding member Valerie Powell.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
In Simcoe County, Orillia, Wasaga Beach and Collingwood have the largest population of seniors, which means the need for more accessible housing and health care providers.
But as Powell stressed, there's often a key component missing.
"Sometimes there's a program that's created but there's not transportation to get them there," she explained.
End-of-life care is also in need of improvements.
Emily Lazareth with The Mariposa House Hospice said there is a growing demand that they struggle to meet.
"A challenge we face often is having our five beds full and having folks in the community that do want to be admitted," she added.
And for those still full of life, staying social can pose its own challenges.
The County of Simcoe says volunteering can be mutually beneficial.
"If everybody knew how fulfilling it was, then we'd have thousands of volunteers. It's just a great way to get out," noted Alix Coutts, the County's volunteering coordinator.
The expo builds on the federal government's goal of helping seniors carve out better lives amid a growing population.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies at 31 in Argentina hotel fall
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.
Group of Liberal MPs plan to verbally ask Trudeau to step down next week
Liberal MPs who have spent the last 10 days organizing to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside from the leadership of the Liberal Party plan to plead their case directly to him at next Wednesday's caucus.
W5 INVESTIGATES Ontario woman alleges sexual assault by junior hockey players; details what happened when she called police
The OPP has acknowledged that one of its employees did not follow the organization's policy when an alleged victim of sexual assault called a local detachment earlier this year to report an incident involving eight former junior hockey players.
Investigators name person of interest in disappearance of Vancouver Island woman
Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.
Canada Revenue Agency fires 330 employees over CERB claims during pandemic
The Canada Revenue Agency says it has terminated 330 employees for inappropriately receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit during the pandemic, giving its final update on an internal review.
Harris' interview with Fox News is marked by testy exchanges over immigration and more
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris engaged in a combative first interview with Fox News on Wednesday, sparring on immigration policy and shifting policy positions while asserting that if elected, she would not represent a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency.
'The risk is real': Book on Manitoba mushrooms suspected to be written by AI
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
'Immediately stop using': Health Canada warns against use of banned baby walkers
Health Canada released an advisory Wednesday warning that baby walkers available online may pose a risk of injury and reminding consumers the items are already banned in Canada.
Trudeau says he has list of Conservatives vulnerable to, or engaged in foreign interference
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has refused to get the security clearance necessary to be briefed on a list of people in his party who are involved in or vulnerable to foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a federal commission of inquiry Wednesday.