The United Methodist Church was the setting for An Elder A-Fair, a symposium on Saturday for residents, caregivers, providers, and policymakers that explored the needs of seniors in the Estes Valley.
More than 65 participants heard overviews of the state and Estes Valley population trends, presentations on preventing cyber fraud, awareness of staying safe when traveling outside the home, planning and preparing for legal necessities, services for older residents that are available in Estes Park, details on the resources available from the Estes Park Senior Citizens Center, and more.
Ann Lantz, pastor of the Estes Park United Methodist Church, welcomed the participants and presenters. Lantz quoted English poet Robert Browning’s famous lines “Grow old along with me! / The best is yet to be” from the poem Rabbi Ben Ezra, published in 1864, which celebrates old age as the purposeful culmination of life and urges readers to embrace aging and spiritual growth over mere youth or material pursuits.
Estes Park Town Trustee Kirby Hazelton welcomed the participants on behalf of Mayor Gary Hall, who was away from town for a few days. Hazelton then introduced Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, who served on the Larimer County Office on Aging Advisory Council from 2017 to 2020.
Shadduck-McNally began her remarks by asking those gathered for a few moments of silence to honor Nick Mollé, an esteemed Estes Park resident and Emmy Award-winning nature filmmaker who died on March 18. Mollé, who had been ill for a few months, was 79.
Nancy Gideon, a demographer with the state demography office, provided the basis for the day’s conversations by discussing the state’s population growth, which in Larimer County is marked by those who are aging in place.
Gideon said predictions call for Larimer County’s population to increase by about 100,000 to about 476,000 by the year 2060, and that the area has a higher share of the population 60 and above than other age groups.
In addition, Gideon said, “Estes Park is older than Larimer County.” She pointed out that communities with a significant percentage of seniors usually have more amenities – such as hospitals, medical resources, and specialized living facilities. However, many of those services are not available in the Estes Valley.
Drilling down to the exact percentage of people 60 years of age and older in the Estes Valley is a bit more challenging, Gideon said, because it requires precisely defining the Estes Valley’s geographical footprint, which includes the Town of Estes Park and areas in unincorporated Larimer County.
The area is also home to many people who live here part-time. In addition to looking at birth and death rates, Gideon said that net migration is a significant factor in understanding an area’s demographics.
Suzanna Simpson, a management analyst for the Town of Estes Park, detailed a 2025 study of senior services in the town and how the municipal government is working to support seniors’ needs. One highlight of Simpson’s research for the Town was an estimate that 40% of Estes Park’s population is over 65. Compared to the rest of the state, that number is about 16%, which makes Estes one of the “oldest” communities demographically in Colorado.
Recurring themes from Simpson’s research detailed individuals’ awareness of existing services, communication barriers with people who do not speak English, transportation gaps, multi-generational opportunities, housing, and socialization opportunities.
Included in the list of support services provided by the town government, Simpson told the group that Estes Park Senior Citizen Center, Inc. has been added to its base funding list, and that the Town has created a senior resources webpage and is addressing the needs of seniors through its 2026 strategic plan with a focus on housing and transportation.
Fraud prevention was the focus of a presentation by Estes Park Police Department Commander Jeremiah Polucha, who outlined the warning signs of six common scams: romance and friendship scams, family emergency scams, identity and account takeovers, tech support scams, fake alerts, and investment schemes. He stressed that all fraud incidents should be reported to law enforcement, noting that embarrassment often leads to significant underreporting.
Community mobility and safety were the themes of Captain Chris Thomas’ presentation for the Estes Valley Fire Protection District. Emphasizing the importance of preparation, Thomas recommended that seniors create a safety plan for outings, including mapping out destinations, considering parking options, and dressing appropriately for weather conditions.
In addition to discussing the challenges of navigating busy intersections and construction zones, his presentation covered common outings, such as visiting the library, grocery store, and pharmacy.
An afternoon panel discussion featured Pete Sinnott, along with Kathleen Theriault and Eric Owen, registered nurses in private practice who discussed what we are doing well in Estes Park to meet seniors’ needs and what we could do better.
Sinnott described his personal journey in caring for his late wife, Stephanie, who died last year after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, and his efforts to spearhead the Estes Dementia Day Center, which will open this spring. Theriault and Owen discussed gaps in local health care services and their private practices, which provide hospice care and home health services.
Other information provided during the day came from attorneys Treavor McGuire and Carl Robicheaux, who discussed issues of legal planning, Rene Hodgden, who spoke of opportunities provided by the Estes Senior Citizens Center, Vicki Wright, president of Quota Club, who discussed the Loan Closet, and Debbi Unruh, who discussed the soon-to-open Estes Dementia Day Center.
As the five-hour symposium wrapped up, Jana Sanchez, a group facilitator who led the Business Accelerator Services of Estes (BASE) Program for the Estes Economic Development Corporation and the current president of the Estes Nonprofit Network, helped the participants identify personal and community takeaways.
After listening to the presentations by McGuire and Robicheaux, many participants said they were compelled to get things in order, such as wills and trusts and other legal and financial details, “before it was too late.”
On the community level, some participants identified the need to increase communication about resources and services already in place, to identify gaps in services for town and county government officials, and to health care and social service organizations.
Elkhorn Law sponsored the luncheon, which was catered by Poppy’s Pizza and Grill. Scratch Bakery and Deli provided frosted cinnamon rolls, and Vicki Haan of Mountain Berry provided the lunch desserts sponsored by the Estes Valley Voice. Renee Hodgden, a real estate broker with RE/MAX and a certified Seniors Real Estate Specialist, provided notebooks and pens for all participants, and the Country Market provided soft drinks.
Other sponsors included UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center and UCHealth Aspen Club, who provided beverages, and Good Samaritan Estes Valley Village, which hosted a drawing for a March Madness-themed gift basket. Table exhibitors included the Larimer County Office on Aging and Senior Helpers.
Organizers of the event included Vicki Papineau of the Estes Senior Citizens Center, Carl Robicheaux, gerontologist Mark Hawkins Adams, Brian Schaffer, the executive director of Crossroads Assistance Ministry, physical therapist Cindy Sisson, Debbie Unruh of the Estes Dementia Day Center, Ann Lantz of the Estes Park United Methodist Church, and Patti Brown, editor of the Estes Valley Voice.
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