Residents tour the Allen County Job and Family Services’ Senior Resource Fair on Wednesday.
Jacob Espinosa | The Lima News
LIMA — Adult Protective Services administrator Jacob Larger said Wednesday’s Senior Resource Fair was a good opportunity for residents in their elder years to learn about what is available to them.
The fair saw community agencies including the Area Agency on Aging 3, Crime Victim Services and several banks, among others, set up booths at the Allen County Job and Family Services center to share information and literature with residents.
“It’s all about bringing those resources together in one stop so individuals can come learn about the things that are available to them,” Larger said. “A lot of times, people don’t know the breadth of resources that are available, so this way we can provide some awareness.”
Lima resident Greg Stemen said he and his wife visited the fair to get information for their elderly mothers.
“The event has been very welcoming,” he said. “We’ve collected some data on things that we don’t yet qualify for.”
Gloria Baughn, an outreach worker for Delphos Senior Center, said it was important to pick up information on things like Medicare for the seniors the center serves.
“We serve a small community, and I like to keep abreast of all the different services available to seniors that we sometimes don’t know about,” she said. “I think it’s a good thing and wish more people knew about it. There are a lot of services out there for seniors and they shouldn’t think they are alone.”
Lisa Fried, an investigator with Adult Protective Services, said she comes across a lot of fraud and exploitation targeting seniors in her work, and the fair is a good way to get ahead of such cases.
“We work with so many of these partners here, and they have a vast amount of services to offer our older population, so we utilize them quite a bit,” she said. “Our banks, for example, are amazing at making sure when they have something that seems questionable that they make a referral to us, so we can check it out and determine what needs to happen next. And our nursing facilities really help when we’re trying to help people find placement.”
Fried echoed Baughn’s message and said seniors should get help before it is too late.
“Don’t allow your pride to hold you back from asking for help,” she said. “I know that self-determination and independence are important, so we understand how that can get in the way of asking for help or resources, but don’t let yourself get in the way.”
For more information on Adult Protective Services, visit bit.ly/3zisY8B or call 419-999-0251.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
