Large turnout for Senior’s Information Expo

May 28, 2015 · 0 Comments

There were 65 people in attendance when host David Tilson, MP and The New Horizon’s Seniors Club held there annual Shelburne Seniors Information Expo on Friday May 22nd.
David Tilson started by welcoming all in attendance then was the emcee introducing all the participants of this expo which consisted of four twenty minute segments delivered on this years key topics:
“Let’s Talk $ – Financial Planning” was conducted by Nancy M Hoffman, Personal Financial Planner – Royal Mutual Funds Inc. Nancy focused on making sure you speak with someone whom you trust with your finances. She discussed the importance of claiming all the pension credits you can on your tax return and also spoke in depth about RIF’s. She explained that we should think of a RIF as an RSP in reverse. Instead of contributing to your retirement savings, you use a RIF to withdraw income for retirement. The untouched portion continues to grow tax-sheltered, just as it does in an RSP. You can no longer contribute new tax-deductible funds, but you can manage your investments in the same way you do with an RSP. She went on to explain that uou can convert RSP savings into a RIF any time. But you must convert your RSP to a RIF or other income option by the end of the year in which you turn 71. For more information on RIF’s you can contact Nancy M Hoffman at The Royal Bank, Shelburne Branch 519 925-2800.
Next Rose Dotten, CEO of the Shelburne Public Library discussed “What Your Library Can Do For You”. Rose started off by updating everyone on the fact that the library is currently undergoing some re-organizing to the layout in able to make a new intimate reading area for patrons to enjoy. Rose focused on the Shelburne Public Library’s Seniors’ Home Outreach Program which is designed to extend library services to senior citizens who are unable to visit them in person. FREE of charge they offer monthly home deliveries, bi-weekly phone call follow-ups and pre-packaged delivery service. The library carries standard and large print books and magazines and also offer Daisy readers, which are digital talking books. You can always find a classic as well as new titles with a great variety of genres. To learn more about these services or sign up now, please call Rose at 519 925-2168.
“Fun, Fitness and Friends” was presented by a group of people from Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) and CBI Home Health. This segment features Jennifer Row, Physiotherapist, Melanie Seeds a Registered Kinesiologist and Certified Personal Trainer and Jenn Able Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist Assistant and focused on keeping fit to prevent falls, then became an interactive portion of the presentations will all standing and doing gentle stretch and easy movements that hit every part of the body from the neck to the feet. For more information on these programs please contact CCAC at 1-888-733-1177 and CBI Home Health at 519 826-4630.
The last portion of the presentations was called “Remembering Your Stories – Ways to Capture your Personal Memories”, by Nora Zylstra-Savage who conducts creative writing courses, coaching and project development. Nora is the owner of Storylines which is an organization that promotes personal self-worth and community appreciation of individual life stories and experiences. She had everyone participate in recalling a memory when she gave a word. An example she gave was hair, and one attendee shared with everyone her memory of being in school as a young girl with long hair in braids and the little boy behind her dipping her hair in the ink well. Nora showed how easy it is to stir up memories with enthusiasm, humour and sensitivity. Her program Bridging the Gap can be implemented in any community and she provides educational training to on-site staff teaching them how to facilitate their own program of capturing the life stories of seniors. For more information on this program you can call Nora at 519 853-1187.
At the conclusion of all the presentations David Tilson, MP presented each speaker with a small token of his appreciation. He also thanked the New Horizons Club for providing the space to host the event with a special thank you going out to this year’s president Pat Bachelor for all her efforts. Lastly he thanked Peter Walton the Managing Director at Egan Funeral Home for providing the complimentary lunch that was served following all the presentations.

By Michelle Austen

Photos by Michelle Austen
The interactive part of “Fun, Fitness and Friends”

All of the speakers of the event from left to right Nora Zylsta-Savage, Nancy M Hoffman, Melanie Seeds, David Tilson MP, John, Jen, Able, Jennifer Row and Rose Dotten.