WILTON — The second annual Senior Resource Fair, held Thursday at the Public Safety Building, provided seniors with advice on scams, health, safety and a free lunch.

Kayce Hunton, who works at Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, said her group organized Thursday’s fair, the first of which was hosted at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. About 50 seniors attended the event.

Laure Johnson, of Seniors Plus, speaks with attendees Thursday at the Senior Resource Fair in Wilton. Johnson was a keynote speaker at the event. Staff photo by David Leaming

Jammie Tyler, of H&R Block, speaks with Lawrence Farrington, of Wilton, on Thursday during the Senior Resource Fair in Wilton. Staff photo by David Leaming

Lincoln and Gloria Grush, from Jay, arrived early, sitting at a table in the Fire Department and enjoying the sunshine.

“We’re just seeing what they have to say,” said 92-year-old Lincoln Grush, who wore a World War II Army Air Corps hat. A B-25 bomber pilot, Lincoln Grush said he flew about 20 missions in the Pacific from New Guinea to Japan.

“She was just a baby when I met her,” Grush said of his wife, Gloria, who had just turned 16 when the couple met — only two months before he joined the Air Corps.

Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols and Farmington Police Chief Jack Peck greeted guests — many by name and a few with hugs — as they arrived. Nichols later spoke about his department’s new Elder Check program. The program is designed to protect seniors who are living alone and unassisted from abuse or being taken advantage of. It also ensures their homes and medications are secure through periodic checks.

Although providing the host site, Wilton Chief Heidi Wilcox stayed in the background, welcoming guests with officers from other departments.

Laure Johnson, from Seniors Plus, a keynote speaker at the event, staffed a table as well as spoke about the programs her organization offers.

“We have been working as a community group for a good part of the last nine or 10 weeks,” Hunton said, regarding the groundwork of putting the event together. “Community partners both in the folks that are setting up the tables today and particularly the Wilton Fire Department and Wilton Police Department, legal services for the elderly, the Farmington Police Department, Seniors Plus — everyone on the committee has been phenomenal coming together and making sure this happens.”

According to Hunton, “community partners” in the form of other organizations that set up tables were anxious to jump on board for the event.

Johnson talked about the Senior Plus meals-on-wheels program and how seniors can receive vouchers for it. She said Seniors Plus also does Medicare counseling, helping seniors new to the program choose a package that best suits them. Johnson said they also run an education center where monthly classes are conducted — a program available only in Lewiston until a recent grant opened up streaming capabilities to other areas.

“We have classes for caregivers who are providing care to people with all forms of dementia,” Johnson said, as well as providing support groups for those caregivers.

“The biggest thing we do is what we call information and assistance,” Johnson said. “So if they call and they need resources, our job is to know what those resources are and be able to refer people to those. And if they need more help accessing those, we can help make calls and fill out applications.” Johnson said they also help people with long-term care.

A large recreational vehicle belonging to Healthy Community Coalition, an affiliate of Franklin County Health Network, was parked across the parking lot in front of the Fire Department. There, nurse Cheryl Moody and health educator Brady Croteau performed free screenings including cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and a full body composition analysis.

Douglas McIntire — 861-9252

dmcintire@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @CD_McIntire

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