Senior healthcare is big business

Empowering Seniors 2016

When: Friday, October 7

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Campus West

- FWBP Digital Partners -

205 N. Industrial, Bedford

817-581-3600

www.empoweringseniors.com

Today’s seniors are more active than the previous generation, so they crave more fun and educational experiences. That’s why so many will attend our 8th Annual Empowering Seniors Health & Lifestyle event Oct. 7, once again at the Campus West facility in Bedford, across from First Euless.

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Empowering Seniors provides critical and timely information for seniors, caregivers and boomers in the areas of healthcare and everyday living, from insurance to quality of life.

From our first event in 2009, our hospitals have played a pivotal role, and they continue to attract our attendees. We are indeed thankful for Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Grapevine, JPS Health System, North Hills Hospital and Texas Health Hospital HEB. They continue to lead the way in creating such a dynamic health-focused experience for this vital part of our population.

Empowering Seniors consistently attracts huge crowds (over 2,300 last year), confirming that the senior market represents a burgeoning target. Once again we will have close to 150 exhibitors offering health tests and screenings plus information on senior-related products and services.

Thankfully, our sponsors have provided the funding that allows Empowering Seniors to be a totally free event.

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One of our most pleasant surprises this year was the phone call we received from Care N’ Care Insurance, which has joined us as our presenting sponsor. Their CEO, Wendy Karsten, says, “When we learned about the opportunity to partner with Commissioner Fickes and grew to understand the mission of the Empowering Seniors event, we felt this was a great opportunity for us to get more involved with our community. We are excited to have an avenue to give back and interact with the senior community, which is one of the fundamental reasons Care N’ Care was created.”

In addition to playing such a major sponsorship role, they also are providing our special guest – iconic weatherman Troy Dungan, an actual Care N’ Care member who we saw on TV for almost 30 years and he earned our trust.

Senior health care has become a huge business, as companies are discovering ways to market their products and services to seniors, boomers and their families. This sector will represent double-digit growth for years to come.

From insurance companies, senior centers and pharmacies to in-home personal care, medical facilities, retirement communities and Realtors, businesses have discovered that the senior and the senior-to-be markets are growing segments of their enterprise.

One vendor, Richard Davis from Lift Aids, calls Empowering Seniors “the single most effective marketing that I do all year. This is the one event I have to attend.”

When our team registers attendees by phone, they hear inspiring stories about how Empowering Seniors allows them to share a sense of adventure, getting them out of the house and having fun.

Seniors appreciate the mental stimulation and this event helps them defeat one of the great challenges they face – senior isolation. Seniors tell us of many instances when they have made new friends at Empowering Seniors.

As Steve Newton, president of North Texas Operations for Baylor Scott & White told us, “Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Grapevine is excited to continue our eight-year collaboration with Empowering Seniors. This event is vital in providing seniors in surrounding communities with important health screenings, wellness information and a wide variety of resources. Under the leadership of Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes, this event has continued to grow and make a positive impact on residents of Northeast Tarrant County.”

Empowering Seniors is the must-attend senior event each fall due to five elements: Lots of fun, free health screenings, educational seminars, almost 150 exhibitors, live entertainment, and free food served by 11 different restaurants.

Empowering Seniors will offer a chance to receive screenings for cholesterol and blood glucose, as well as for oral health, bone density, vision, hearing, and fall risk evaluation. Free flu and pneumonia shots, along with other vaccinations, will be available for those who have a Medicare card. Attendees may also safely dispose of expired medications.

We will host three “Ask the Doctor” sessions that feature a total of nine doctors overall. They will be discussing health issues that seniors, caregivers and boomers deal with on a regular basis.

Our educational seminar topics will range from insurance updates, health and well-being for seniors and senior fraud to fun outings for seniors in the Fort Worth area, and the basics of memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s.

It’s clear to see that the senior market is alive and booming. We’re so honored and pleased to be making a difference in the lives of our seniors, their caregivers and their families.

Gary Fickes is Tarrant County Commissioner for Precinct 3.