When Penny Kalscheur set up an information table at Independent Newsmedia’s Chandler Senior Expo on Feb. 24, she wasn’t sure exactly what types of questions visitors would ask about her organization’s main topics.
Kalscheur was one of more than 40 vendors who spent the morning of Feb. 24 educating those who came to the Sun Lakes Country Club’s main building about products and services.
It was Kalscheur’s first time setting up a MD First Research Arizona’s table at an INI Senior Expo. She said with a focus on dementia studies, she ended up receiving about as many questions about loved ones as she received questions from visitors asking about themselves.
“I was expecting to hear from a few more caregivers, but I’m glad there was so much interest in dementia,” Kalscheur said.
Kalscheur said the primary health concern expressed by seniors at her table seemed to be vision and eye care, though there were many dementia questions as well.
More than 40 vendors offered up solutions to all sorts of senior-living challenges. For the past several years, INI has been holding Senior Expo events for vendors about once per month, in the winter in the East Valley and then primarily in the West Valley the rest of the year.
Seniors and their families learned about everything from Medicare to specific health topics to wills and trusts, and how to get new help or products related to each one.
Some organizations had games, candy or giveaways at their tables.
Pickle balls were one of the giveaways. One attendee, in a drawing, won a large gift basket.
We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.
Jason W. Brooks
Associate Editor
Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.
He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.
Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.
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