June is Seniors Month, and to mark the occasion, the Danube Seniors Leisure Centre and Community & Home Assistance To Seniors (CHATS) partnered to present a seniors and caregivers wellness fair.
Fifteen exhibitors, such as the Accessibility Resource Centre, Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County, and the South Simcoe Police Service, set up booths, providing information on independent living, health supports and services available for seniors and their caregivers at the Danube Seniors Leisure Centre.
Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Rob Keffer opened the fair, proclaiming it Seniors Month. “Seniors are a very important part of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. We really appreciate what you do in the community,” he told the gathering. “Your stories deserve to be told.”
The BWG Public Library and Cultural Centre, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 521, and the Danube centre itself — with a display of crafts, and handmade “fiddle muffs” designed to provide sensory stimulation for Alzheimer patients — all had displays.
Among the exhibitors was the Central East Stroke Network, which provided information on stroke symptoms and what actions to take if someone is having a stroke.
Its F.A.S.T. campaign stands for face (drooping on one side), arms (weakness on one side), speech (is the person slurring?), and time (it is time to call 911).
“We’re just making sure we get the message out about F.A.S.T.,” said Dorothy Burridge, the network’s co-ordinator, emphasizing that anyone who suspects a stroke should not go to the hospital emergency room on their own.
“Call 911. The thing is, they might not take you to hospital — they might bypass the hospital to go directly to a stroke centre and get you to the right place at the right time,” she said.
Stroke centres can offer a more rapid response and new treatments, she said.
Bradford Fire & Emergency Services also provided life-saving information, as fire prevention officer Andrew MacPherson talked about fire safety for seniors.
MacPherson emphasized the importance of working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in the home.
“In a fire, every second counts. There is no time to spare,” he said.
In a shocking video he showed of the progress of a house fire, it took 48 seconds for the first smoke alarm to sound, just more than one minute for an upstairs smoke alarm to go off, and two minutes and 37 seconds for the room to be engulfed in flames and temperatures to soar to 700 C.
Without the warning provided by smoke alarms, it’s unlikely residents could escape in time, he said.
The morning ended with door prizes donated by local businesses and a $5 soup-and-sandwich lunch.
