People tend to act like getting older is the worst thing in the world, but it certainly doesn’t have to be.
There are plenty of reasons to be positive about older age, live life to the fullest, and have a good time along the way. As Senator John Glenn has put it, “Too many people, when they get old, think that they have to live by the calendar.”
For the 10th year, K-State Research and Extension is joining with community partners in bringing the Aging With Attitude Regional Expo to the Southeast Kansas area. This event promotes positive attitudes about aging and provides inspiration, answers questions and delivers information to older adults, their families and caregivers about making the most of life.
The expo will be presented in a virtual format in 2021 and will be from 9 a.m. to noon April 29-30. Marci Penner of the Kansas Sampler Foundation will present an upbeat keynote address on some of the lesser known attractions in southeast Kansas.
Other topics to be presented include Telemedicine and You – Understanding new healthcare options; Fraud Awareness — Protecting yourself from scams; Hemp Culture; Valuable Records and Advance Health Care Planning conversation; and Smart Homes – How to make your home safer and more efficient through technology. There will be some get-up-and-move exercises and fun brain stretching activities during breaks between sessions.
Other community partners engaged with the expo planning include Angels Care Home Health, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Integrity Home Care + Hospice, Medicalodges – Fort Scott, Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, Southeast Kansas Library System, and interested community individuals.
While the virtual presentation may be easily accessed from the comforts of your own home, four host sites have been reserved for those without internet access. Host site locations where individuals may attend one or both days of the expo include:
Chanute — First Baptist Church Good News Center, 118 N. Forest St.
Fort Scott — Community Christian Church Gym, 1919 Horton St.
Parsons — Southeast Area Research & Extension Center, 25092 Ness Rd.
Pittsburg — Homer Cole Senior Center, 2003 N. Joplin St.
Host site reservations need to be made by calling ahead to 620-625-8620. Space is limited, due to social distancing. Masks will be required.
A GOAL of the expo is to empower older adults and their caregivers — with information and education that is shared throughout the expo — to make more confident and proactive decisions that influence how they age.
Partial funding is provided by a grant from the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation and the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging to support the 2021 Aging with Attitude Regional Expo.
Virtual vendor booths for aging services and information available in the southeast Kansas area will be shared as part of the webinars.
