Old-fashioned face-to-face interactions highlighted the recent Senior Health Fair in Federal Way.

The Senior Advisory Commission held its second Senior Health Fair on May 16 at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center. Lana Bostic, chair of the commission, said the event is a chance for seniors and their caregivers to get out and learn more about available resources.

Bostic said about 200 people or more attended in total, and they had around 60 booths — about 20 more than last year.

“People need to know how much good information and services are out there. There’s a whole bunch of stuff for seniors at the library. There’s different organizations that help people,” Bostic said. “There’s also a lot of networking going on between the different vendors, too. It’s just a good way to get people knowledge about what kind of services and benefits are out there.”

Bostic said many seniors left with handouts and got connected with groups they might not have known about. She cited South King Fire’s presence and how they could answer any of the seniors’ questions. Seniors learned that the fire department could assist them in installing new smoke alarms, for example. Bostic said there was also one particularly helpful new vendor who assesses people’s ability to drive, which she said can often lift a heavy burden off families’ shoulders.

“One of the hardest things for seniors to do is to give up their driving, and it’s really scary when people shouldn’t be driving,” Bostic said. “I’m a retired nurse, and I know having your family tell you that is not easy. So it’s easier if you have a professional that can say, ‘You’re really not safe to drive,’ rather than your family harassing you.”

Another aspect of the Senior Health Fair that was beneficial to seniors was the social aspect. Bostic said people often view seniors as living a sedentary lifestyle, but this isn’t the case at all.

“A lot of times people think seniors are sitting around in their chairs at home doing nothing, but seniors now are very active, and they like to do a lot of things,” Bostic said. “They need to be supported. People need to know what kind of activities there are for seniors.”

Bostic said the Senior Health Fair was also another opportunity for seniors to meet new people, or find out about other social opportunities in the community. Bostic said that for her, she goes to the Federal Way Community Center for water aerobics twice a week.

“It’s just good. Seniors have a tendency to sometimes isolate, especially after Covid, and this is just a good way to let them know that you don’t have to isolate,” Bostic said. “There’s things out there to do, ways to get there, transportation, and different places to go, and they’re free or inexpensive.”

The Senior Advisory Commission meets the second Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m. at Federal Way City Hall.

Senior Health Fair on May 16 at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center. Photos By Joshua Solorzano/The Mirror