The Prince George Council of Seniors was one of several organizations at the Wellness North and Business Expo.

By Tommy Osborne

Seniors' Wellness

With Senior population growing, need for seniors’ care rises.

Mar 23, 2024 | 5:19 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Wellness North and Business Expo took place earlier today at the Prince George Civic Centre, and one focus across several booths was supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of seniors. Given that 16.2% of Prince George’s population are seniors, per Statistics Canada most recent data, and that our senior population is growing faster than our ages 0-14 population, supporting seniors has become a clear and increasing need. This is where organizations like the Prince George Council of Seniors (PGCOS) can step in, as it has many programs offering a wide variety of supports.

“For example, this is tax season, so our office is very busy with helping seniors in terms of filing for their taxes. We have our volunteer people who are helping out the seniors,” said Clarence Bo, PGCOS Friendship family caregiver support coordinator:

“The Better at Home (program) is mainly helping out those seniors in terms of like housekeeping yard work and also online grocery shopping. And sometimes it’s difficult for them to go out, so the Better at Home is mainly helping the seniors in terms of getting the work done at home,” he continued.

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Beyond the wide variety of practical services the PGCOS offers, Bo also emphasized the importance of mental well being. Staying involved in the community and socializing is perhaps equally as important as some of the other services the PGCOS offers, when you consider the overall picture of wellness. While the PGCOS already offers a lot, other organizations like the Men’s Shed also play a huge role. The Men’s Shed is all about providing men, often but not always retired, a place to socialize and do some woodworking projects together.

“I always say men suck at making friends unless there’s some kind of structure, so you think about where men tend to gather, and it’s watching sports, drinking beer, those kind of things. And we realize that’s not necessarily healthy for our physical bodies or our mental well-being, so we really need to create a safe place for men to gather and find a reason to gather,” said Brent Goerz, a founding member of New Beginnings Men’s Shed.

Goerz was motivated to join when he felt burned out from working as a therapist for 17 years, and his house burning down in 2015 compounded on an already difficult period.

“It was a really safe place for me just to chill. And I didn’t have the capacity, my brainpower, my executive functioning, to even do projects. I just hung out and just watched guys. And that was really the foundation of my recovery journey.”

You can learn more about the PGCOS here, and the New Beginnings Men’s Shed here.

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