A free resource fair for older adults, veterans, caregivers and families will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Highlands Park Senior & Community Center.
The annual Senior Caregiver & Family Resource Fair is being organized by the center and the Valley Women’s Club of San Lorenzo Valley. It will connect residents with county agencies and independent service providers addressing the challenges associated with aging and caregiving.
The event will be held at 8500 Highway 9 in Ben Lomond. The senior center is the green building behind the soccer field in Highlands County Park.
Organizers said the fair is intended to make services more accessible to San Lorenzo Valley residents, who can face long trips to reach resources elsewhere in Santa Cruz County. The valley’s older residents also face challenges involving geographic isolation, the cost of living, transportation, housing insecurity, caregiving and the risks posed by wildfires and storms.
Representatives from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin’s office will attend the fair to present information about the EDD Caregiver Paid Family Leave Program.
The fair will offer assistance in 11 areas, including care and living management, compensation and time off for caregivers, housing and aging in place, degenerative diseases, transportation, social connections and health and well-being.
Other topics will include respite and end-of-life care, food and nutrition, disaster preparation, financial and legal assistance, fraud prevention and technology training.
Attendees will also receive eligibility and application information for “Affording Aging” programs, including utility discounts, free cellphones and subsidized internet and technology hardware.
The event is open to people caring for a family member as well as adults planning for their own future care or that of a loved one.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/caregiverfair, call 831-336-8900 or email [email protected].