Record Visitor Numbers at Senior Expo

Villa Alamar and Alexander Gardens are Proud Silver Sponsors of the 31st Annual Senior Expo of Santa Barbara

Pictured: Mitch Leichter, Ingrid Lino, and Shandy Newlan. Photo: Mary Brook.

Multiple businesses and organizations joined together this October 2nd to offer valuable information and services to local seniors at the 31st Annual Senior Expo, a Santa Barbara tradition.

The event took place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds and counted with 120 exhibitors and 300 volunteers, workers, and exhibitor associates.

A record number of visitors (over 1000) attended the Expo, where they were able to gather information on a variety of services including health, transportation, and financial planning.

Memory care and assisted living are some of the major concerns for seniors in Santa Barbara. Our Villa Alamar and Alexander Garden teams were there to provide firsthand information on quality assisted living and memory care services.

We were also represented at the event’s planning level. Our Associate Executive Director, Joseph Newlan, LVN is a member of the event’s all-volunteer planning committee while also, in collaboration with Jeanne West, RN, co-coordinator and recruiter of nurses for the flu-shot clinic.

Jeanne was the driving force behind the creation of the flu-shot clinic back in 2001, when it was first offered at the Senior Expo with vaccines donated by Cottage Health. The clinic became a big success and its creation is accredited for doubling the number of visitors at the Expo, which at the time was dwindling.

This year the flu-shot clinic at the Expo gave visitors 764 vaccines over a 3-hour period, and counted with the help of 16 nursing students and 16 nurses (RNs and LVNs), among them our beloved Resident Services Director, Shandy Newlan, LVN (who is also Joseph’s wife).

Shandy herself administered 42 shots on that morning.  “I really enjoy these clinics,” she said, “It is a joy to be able to help so many people in one single event.”

In 2020 Joseph will be taking over the duties of coordinating and recruiting nurses for the event, while Jeanne, who is also the Community Engagement Manager at Hospice of Santa Barbara, will be dedicating herself to inter-agencies recruitment and coordination.

Back for the third time this year, the Caregiver’s Cafe was offered as a relaxing place to receive support and information. Caregivers received consultations and information on services and strategies for their individual needs, including in-home help, assisted living, and caregiver support.

Other valuable resources available included blood pressure screening by Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, glaucoma screening by Lions Sight & Hearing, hearing screening by Miracle Ear® of Santa Barbara, and bone density scans by OsteoStrong.

Hailed as one of the best Senior Expos to date, the event’s committee led by the Family Service Agency deserves recognition for its flawless organization and for the quality of the services provided.

The staff and management of Villa Alamar and Alexander Gardens are proud of having collaborated for the success of this year’s event and are looking forward to contributing to the 2020 Expo!

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