With more than 40% of Estes Valley residents age 60 or older, community leaders, area stakeholders, caretakers, and residents will gather Saturday, March 21, to explore how a mountain community of just under 12,000 area residents can better support its senior residents.
Over the past five years, the community has lost several services provided by the community hospital, including nursing home care, in-home hospice care, and in-home health care. In part because of the community’s demographics and the high cost of housing, it is challenging to find local employees for senior care services. Many area seniors find it necessary to leave the Estes Valley and move to areas with more health care and social service resources, including specialized housing and transportation assistance.
An Elder A-Fair: Aging Well in the Estes Valley will take place Saturday, March 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Estes Park United Methodist Church, 1509 Fish Hatchery Rd
The symposium will bring together residents, health providers, social service organizations, business leaders, and policymakers to discuss the opportunities — and challenges — of aging in a rural mountain community.
Coffee begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a welcome and introductory remarks from Rev. Ann Lantz, the pastor at the Estes Park United Methodist Church, Estes Park Town Trustee Kirby Hazelton, and Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally.
The keynote presentation, “Aging Well in Our Community,” will be given by Nancy Gedeon, a demographer with the Colorado State Demography Office. Gedeon will outline demographic trends nationally, statewide, and locally — and what they mean for communities like Estes Park.
Suzanna Simpson, a management analyst for the Town of Estes Park, will share results from the 2025 Estes Park Community Survey on aging. The Estes Park Police Department will discuss its work on fraud protection for seniors, and the Estes Valley Fire Protection District will also discuss home safety issues and ways the EVFPD can help seniors.
A light lunch sponsored by Elkhorn Law will include brief presentations on the history and future of organizations serving older adults, including Quota Club of Estes Park, Estes Park Senior Citizens Center, and the Estes Dementia Day Center, which is set to open this spring.
After lunch, attorneys Carl Robicheaux and Trevor McGuire with Elkhorn Law will discuss planning ahead for care needs, protecting financial assets, and advanced health care planning.
The afternoon will feature a moderated panel on building an age-friendly community, focusing on health care access and caregiver support.
The event concludes with a “call to action” group process led by Jana Sanchez of Alchemy with Words to identify takeaways and next steps for the community.
Organizers hope the discussion leads to identifying service gaps, a potential community survey, a report for local leaders, and a local directory of health, social service, and legal resources.
The symposium was organized by community leaders, including Rev. Ann Lantz, Suzanna Simpson, Carl Robicheaux, Renee Hodgden, Vicki Papineau, Debbie Unruh, Cindy Sisson, Hawkins Adams, Jana Sanchez, and the Estes Valley Voice.
The symposium will also feature information tables by many area organizations, including UCHealth-Aspen Club, Good Sams, Senior Helpers, and others.
The event is free, but seating is limited. For planning purposes, people interested in attending are asked to register on Eventbrite. For more information, email the Estes Valley Voice.