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.

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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.