Palatine-based Elderwerks presents annual aging better senior expo: Planning Your Future Today
PALATINE - As president of Elderwerks, a Palatine-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding senior housing and elder care solutions for families, Jennifer Prell's mission is to help mature adults live well with dignity and respect.
The mission brings her much joy and excitement, especially when she will meet caregivers and families coming to Elderwerks' Annual Aging Better Expo seeking resources and vital information they need to help the seniors in their lives. With the theme of "Planning Your Future Today," this free event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the Triphahn Community Center, 1685 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates.
The event, which began in 2015, will feature informative and educational presentations from area aging experts about aging well at home, staying healthy, and safety issues. There will be Q&A sessions and opportunities to interact with 100 local resources with representatives from local home service agencies, senior communities, businesses, and benefits. Free doughnuts, coffee and lunch will be provided by the Expo's sponsors.
"Now that the Expo is live again, I'm excited because I like to see people," Prell said. "We should have 500 plus on-site visitors and, because we have added a livestream component this year, we should have several thousand virtual guests joining us nationwide and outside the country. We've had people from Australia and England view our classes. The beauty about our event is that we have recorded the presentations for anyone to see at a later time so that they become instant informational references."
Prell explained that this kind of event is very much needed today.
"If anyone wants to plan to age well, then they can't just plan for their finances," she said. "They have to plan for everything else. They have to ask themselves what they want their lifestyle to look like, the legal tools they need, and the people they need to rely on to help them every day. For example, where do they want to live - at home or in a community, city, or suburb? There are a lot of things to consider."
The Expo will offer expert speakers on Medicare, the legal aspects of aging, and health and wellness.
From her perspective, major concerns from people she talks with are seniors outliving their money reserves, not finding ways to be social or physically active, and being unable to maintain their homes.
"All of these things are hugely important," she said. "The resources we invite to our expos typically cover the whole gamut of aging from staying home well to learning about the adaptability, mobility, and health issues, being savvy about financial and legal aspects, and assessing the various insurance organizations, brokers, and providers. No one is supposed to be selling anything; they are only providing information. This is all about planning for the future."
After every expo, Prell said that attendees can't wait to return the following year.
"A lot of seniors attend expos and they'll collect things, talk with people and have fun," she said. "With our expo, they will do all that but they'll also learn something. For the last two years, the biggest comment I received was that 'I can't wait until this is live so I can talk with everybody at their booth and learn.' It's amazing."
Elderwerks thanks the following Senior Expo Supporters: Platinum - Humana and Madigan Insurance Group; Gold - Peck Ritchey, LLC; Silver - Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital; Alzheimer's Association Greater Illinois Chapter, Assured Healthcare, Belmont Village Senior Living, Paxem Inc., Right at Home in Home Care & Assistance, TheKey of Illinois, and Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC)-McHenry County.
To register or view the Expo details, visit this link or call 855-462-0100 for more information.