Marin Senior Fair Helps Older Adults Find Solutions To Problems Unique To Their Age

On Wednesday, thousands of older adults flocked to the Marin Senior Fair in San Rafael to find solutions to the unique problems of aging.

Nearly 26% of Marin County residents are 65 and older, according to the U.S. Census.

“We’re all living longer, so there’s a component of aging people who are well over 80, like me,” said Liz Rottger with the event’s organizing committee. “Once they have a certain problem that they’re trying to sort through, there are people here who have answers and solutions.”

Rottger was referring to the vendors that staffed more than 200 booths in what organizers call Northern California’s largest and longest-running annual senior information event. Exhibitors showcased products and services that cover housing, finance, health, legal assistance, travel, education, hobbies, sports, technology and volunteering. In addition, the fair offered health screenings and flu shots, live entertainment, and quilt and photo shows.

This year’s fair theme was Not My First Rodeo: Saddle Up for a Better Future, featuring western-wear and entertainment.

The challenges of staying independent

Rottger said just a small fraction of older adults in Marin County are in skilled nursing residences or have assisted living.

“Over 90% are still living independently, and they’re relying on people like a daughter or son who’s close by,” she said.

Not everyone has grown children taking care of them. Diana Racumu is a home healthcare provider with Together in Home Senior Care. Sometimes she feels the stress of communicating between clients and their families.

“In my experience, some of our clients never had families coming in or supporting them, they are in a different state,” Racumu said.

She and other caregivers have gotten used to communicating with their clients’ families about managing dementia or difficult behaviors, medication and falls. Most of the time, families are supportive, she said.

“Sometimes they are in denial because they don’t see what we do,” said Racumu.

Living independently can mean changing the architecture to match physical changes.

“Last year I had someone who came in to me and she said very quietly, ‘I can’t get into my bathtub,’” said Rottger, pointing to the vendor booth for Home Safety Services. The company installs grab bars, railings, shower seats and toilet supports, as well as more advanced safety features for more dependent living, like wheelchair ramps and stair lifts.

Affording a modified home in Marin County is a challenge at any age.

Jackie Whelan, a volunteer mediator with the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, said seniors on fixed incomes have recently been getting hit with soaring rent increases.

Under the California Tenant Protection Act, annual rent increases are capped at 5% plus the regional cost-of-living change, with a hard absolute maximum cap of 10% total.

Whelan said this year that rate has gone up a lot while Social Security payments are not increasing at the same pace.

The cost-of-living increase can start Aug. 1, she said. The smaller local landlords are often willing to give a little, because they live here too.

“It’s the corporate-owned ones, the private equity ones, they always go to the max, and an 8% increase is a lot for some people out there,” she said.

Whelan works with tenants and landlords to negotiate improvements.

“If you’re going to increase the rent that much, then here are some things in my apartment that I think should be upgraded or even fixed,” she said, offering an example. “Some people have been living on the same carpets for 12 or 13 years.”

Financial abuse is another problem that comes with independent living.

“I think what’s threatening is when senior citizens are by themselves and their family is gone, and another group will come in and claim to take care of them,” said Mary Kay with the nonprofit Financial Abuse Specialist Team, or FAST. “They claim to be taking care of them, even family does, but they’re not taking care of them. No, they’re wanting to get money from auntie or grandma or something like that.”

Older adults grapple with staying in touch with others and feeling part of a community, said Rottger, especially when living in a more remote area.

The fair featured booths with community-building and volunteer opportunities at the San Rafael Public Library, the Marin YMCA, the Marin Symphony, the Mt Tam Quilt Guild, the Marin Photo Club, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, among others.

“As people grow older, they don’t necessarily know how many opportunities are out there to volunteer,” she said.

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