Services to Seniors Swan River is gearing up to host another Coffee & a Chat, an event where seniors can get out and have fun with other seniors, all while learning important things.
Connie Beaudry, Community Resource Coordinator, said their presentations are a big part of the events, and that they usually have presenters that can have conversations about the topics with the seniors.
"We choose to have somebody that can field questions on the fly, not just somebody who stands in front of the crowd and does a PowerPoint presentation. We've had people like the funeral home come in, we've had exercises, we've had massage therapists come in, we've had mental health people come in," said Beaudry.
Beaudry also said the social side of the meetings is a huge help to seniors.
"It's a known fact that seniors who get out and about more than their counterparts who stay home and are socially isolated live longer and healthier lives...[the meetings are] an opportunity for people to leave, because it's very easy to stay home and say I don't want to go see my friend even though I love my friend, but this is a reason to leave your home, come out once a month and learn something," said Beaudry.
She also said in the time Coffee & a Chat has been running, they noticed a key area they could improve on: apartments. They've since made great strides to get seniors in apartments access to their services.
"During our 3 and a half years of Coffee & a Chat, we felt like we were missing some demographics, so we have a worker who goes to the apartment complexes, does games and exercises, and general chatting," said Beaudry.
The next session is at the Birch River Drop-in Centre today from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with another in Swan River on Thursday. For more information about Services to Seniors Swan River and what they do, click here to visit their Facebook page.
