ALEDO, Ill. — Illinois State Representative Dan Swanson is hosting a week-long traveling fair that aims to connect seniors and veterans to local resources.
"We get a lot of calls in our office of veterans needing help, and seniors needing help. And it's, it's more about helping the local veterans and seniors meet up with the people in their own communities, they may not know that they have those resources available," said Rep. Swanson.
Swanson said the area with the largest demand for seniors is healthcare.
"You know, they're struggling with their phones, they're struggling with their bills or struggling with those things at home and just working, we go to get help."
The type of health care resources ranges from corporations like Genesis Health System to smaller, individual groups.
"Genesis Aledo prides itself on services to the homebound. We have lab services that will go out for those who may not be able to traditionally come in to get their labs drawn. Also, we have a care coordinator who helps with any transition from the time they come to the hospital or as they leave to a hospital. So, transition to their home transition to other kinds of care that they may need, as well as other support services. And how is the demand for the services within seniors better is very high." Coordinator for Genesis Aledo, Al Willing said.
The resources also range to individual groups, like Blackhawk Blind Group: whose founder, Pat Olson, created it after her son was rendered blind after surgery.
"Well, we're just individual people. So whatever you need, we'll find if you need help with a computer, we will have somebody we can go to for that. Or if there's somebody needs a little bit of help with cane travel," Olson said.
Swanson said he has two end goals at each resource fair:
"The first goal is all the exhibitors visit and reach out with each other; if there's a law, talk to each other. Let's find out what each of you have to provide our veterans and seniors to help discover what each do and to try and find any gaps in the coverage for our veterans and seniors," Swanson continued. "The second objective is to watch veterans walk out with a bag full of information, and learn and understand what benefits are available for them, whether they're looking at some veteran benefits, or if it's a senior looking at some housing or other resources. Walking out of the bag full of information is a good thing for me."
The next fair will be on Wednesday, in Princeton Illinois at the Moose Lodge, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.