Empowered Seniors: Past Events

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June 10, 2026

Beating Isolation: How Connection Supports Brain Health in Aging

In this June 2026 Empowered Seniors Speaker Series presentation, Dr. Sandra Belfry, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist, explores how social connection, mental engagement, and daily habits can help support brain health as we age.

Drawing from her clinical work in a Healthy Aging and Dementia Clinic in Burlington, as well as research from her dementia risk prevention programs, Dr. Belfry shares practical insight into how attention, memory, decision-making, and emotional well-being can change over time.

This session focuses on realistic, everyday strategies that may help reduce isolation, protect cognitive health, support mental well-being, and improve overall quality of life for older adults and their families.

Whether you are a senior, caregiver, adult child, or professional supporting older adults, this presentation offers helpful information on the importance of staying connected, mentally engaged, and supported through every stage of aging.

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May 13, 2026

Aging Boldly: Because Getting Older Isn't for the Faint of Heart

Aging boldly means facing the realities of getting older with honesty, courage, and the right support.

In this episode of the Empowered Seniors Speaker Series, Marion Goard is joined by Annie Gaudreault for a meaningful conversation about what it really means to age with confidence, intention, and resilience.

Getting older is not always easy — and it certainly is not for the faint of heart. But with the right conversations, planning, education, and community, seniors and their families can feel more empowered as they navigate the next chapter.

In this session, we explore topics connected to aging well, planning ahead, supporting loved ones, and approaching later-life decisions with clarity and compassion.

Whether you are a senior, an adult child supporting aging parents, or simply someone who wants to better understand the journey ahead, this conversation offers valuable insight and encouragement.

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April 8, 2026

Living Well Expo 2026: Discover, Connect, Empower!

This year’s Living Well Expo was an exciting, high-energy day filled with connection, learning, and inspiration. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event such a success, and to all who took the time to attend.

Guests had the opportunity to connect with a wide range of trusted professionals, gather valuable information on topics that matter to seniors and their families, and discover local resources designed to support healthy, independent living. From informative conversations to meaningful new connections, the atmosphere was vibrant and engaging throughout the day.

We’re grateful for the positive feedback and enthusiasm shared by attendees and exhibitors alike, and we look forward to building on this momentum for future events.

Video replay not available.

March 11, 2026

The Safety Net for Aging in Place: Planning Ahead to Stay Independent

At this session Dr. Laura Shoots, an emergency physician, educator, and healthcare leader with a master’s degree in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the University of Toronto. Based on her experiences in the emergency room, Dr. Shoots shared how to best prepare to Age In Place and factors that keep people from doing so. Passionate about system-level change, she also teaches at McMaster University and has held several leadership roles in healthcare. She is also the founder of Take Care, a platform that helps you create, organize, and share personalized plans for life’s most challenging times—from unexpected hospitalizations to end of life.

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February 11, 2026

Women & Wealth: Planning for Longevity, Security and Independence

Women often outlive men yet their financial plans may not always be financially prepared for the extra years. At this session, financial expert Neela White (BlueWing Advisory Group, Raymond James) addressed the unique financial realities women face in their retirement years and helped attendees build a strategy for lasting financial security.

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January 14, 2026

Fraud Prevention for Seniors - Protecting Yourself in a Digital World

We know that fraud is getting harder to spot. Today's scammers are patient, believable, and often build emotional connections before taking advantage. Seniors are especially at risk, from online romance scams and identity theft to misuse of Power of Attorney. At the January 2026 Empowered Seniors Speaker Series, Dave Oswald, Founder of Forensic Restitution helped attendees learn how to identify, avoid and protect ourselves from being scammed and/or defrauded. Powerful information was shared!

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December 10, 2025

Caring For Others – and Yourself – Over The Holidays

Providing care to someone in your life is a rewarding experience, that sometimes comes at the cost of not taking care of ourselves to the best of our ability. The holidays are a time full of more tasks and responsibilities on top of what we already manage on a day-to-day basis. The holidays may also bring up a variety of emotions that seem difficult to handle in the moment. We all know it is important to care for ourselves, but what does that look like and how can we begin doing that to ensure the holidays are meaningful and memorable?

At the December 2025 Empowered Seniors Speaker Series Emily Ayenew, the Regional Lead for Western Ontario at the Ontario Caregiver Organization, addressed the importance of caring for yourself while caring for others, with an emphasis on understanding the unique experience of caring for someone during the holidays compared to other times of the year.

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November 12, 2025

Simple Steps for Peace of Mind: Planning Your Digital Legacy

So much of what we manage daily now happen online. From booking appointments, to chatting with friends, to paying bills through online banking…we are living digital lives. And even though digital living makes things easier for us, we often never consider what happens to our online assets when we pass away. Having a plan means less stress for your family and peace of mind for you.

For this session, trust, estate and planning expert Christine Brundsen returned for a fresh look at planning for your digital assets. The presentation included:

• What are digital assets
• How to protect your digital life
• Simple steps to building a plan
• How to organize your digital information
• Roadblocks to accessing them

Watch the video to learn more about how to protect and secure your digital assets.

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October 8, 2025

Getting to Know Grief: Bereavement Education and Support Strategies for Coping With Loss

Because we all experience losses in our life, we all experience grief. Despite this universal truth, however, we are neither very knowledgeable about grief, nor very skilled at supporting one another through it. Most people, when confronted with someone else's grief, either try to "fix" it or simply can't handle those raw emotions and pull away. When we ourselves are grieving, we don't know what's normal or how to ask for help. How can this problem be solved? Through education, open communication, and compassion.

Kelly Stern of Compassionate Care Collaborators has been working in the deathcare field since 2012. As an end-of-life doula, she supports individuals and families through the dying process and provides grief support before and after a death.

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September 10, 2025

What's It Really Like to Downsize?

This month the Empowered Seniors Speakers Series took a bit of a twist by inviting seniors who have already downsized to form a panel to discuss What's It Really Like to Downsize.

Hindsight may be 20/20, but hearing from those who have experienced downsizing was worth more than its weight in gold. Hearing the stories of couples and singles who have moved on to a smaller home, a retirement home, a rental unit, or other housing gave us insight into what to expect when we decide to make the move ourselves.

This candid conversation was facilitated by the event host Marion Goard, Broker - Keller Williams Edge Realty. The panelists shared the truth of their downsizing journeys and offered tips and suggestions based on their experiences.

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August 13, 2025

Hearing Well Means Living Well

Hearing loss isn't just an aging problem, and it doesn't just complicate things for the person with compromised hearing. Losing the ability to hear clearly affects everyone around us, but how do you know when to get a hearing test?

This month, Empowered Seniors Speakers Series is thrilled to welcome Hearing Instrument Specialists Rob Hamilton and Meredith Joaquim, both from Hearing Well Matters. During this seminar, Hearing Well Means Living Well, Rob and Meredith will show us everything we need to know about hearing loss, brain function, and the options for devices.

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July 9, 2025

The ABCs of Retirement Homes

Choosing a retirement home is a lot like choosing which university you'd like to attend. You'll need to consider location, program offerings, costs (and extras!). What will the social life be like and will you fit in with the "campus life"? There are many factors to think about when it comes to where you might spend the next few decades of your life. At this session Jeanette Bock from Fluid Senior Transitions walked us through some of the important questions to ask, what to be aware of, and how to make the right choice for your next move.

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June 11, 2025

Funerals - From Ceremony to Practicality

Capturing the essence of an entire life in a single event when one is grieving can be challenging. Apart from making decisions, there are many legal issues that need to be handled. It can be overwhelming to manage grief while taking care of all the preparations and the aftermath of a death. Being prepared and knowing what steps to take in what order can ease some of the stress of a funeral. At this session of the Empowered Seniors Speaker Series Sarah Sunnucks, Educational Partner, Smith's Funeral Homes shared insights about the funeral industry and provided information about funeral/burial options, legal compliance, and planning.

Video replay not available.

May 14, 2025

Citizen-Centred Service Canada

The Citizen Services Branch (CSB) of Services Canada is dedicated to ensuring eligible individuals know about all the benefits available to them. The branch works with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal partners to deliver a variety of services to Canadians. The CSB is a valuable resource for understanding available benefits, programs, and supports.

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April 9, 2025

Empowered Seniors Speaker Series Living Well Expo

This months' session will take a bit of a twist from our regular format. It will be an exciting day where you'll be able to visit with 30+ local organizations, businesses and individuals offering services, support, and information for older adults and their families. On April 9, 2025 the Empowered Seniors Speakers Series is pleased to be hosting the LIVING WELL EXPO, a day designed to empower and educate.

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March 12, 2025

Why Your Adult Children Should Plan For Their Longevity

If most of your discussions with your adult children are about your future plans, it might be time to change the conversation. Planning for longevity is especially important, given how our life expectancy is increasing, as are costs of care. Helping your adult children create a comprehensive plan for their own aging journey will allow them to see how they can remain independent and financially secure for their later years.

Video replay not available.

February 12, 2024

Ontario Health at Home - New Name, Same Exceptional Services

Ontario Health at Home (formerly Home and Community Care Support Services) is now a single organization dedicated to supportive home care services. Their mission is to help everyone be healthier at home through connected, accessible, patient-centred care, either in their own homes or via community care services.

Empowered Seniors Speakers Series is pleased to welcome the team from Ontario Health at Home to share information with you about the services they provide. In this session, Ontario Health at Home - New Name, Same Exceptional Services, our guests will share how they care for thousands of patients across the province every day.

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January 8, 2025

Caring for the Aging Mind – How to Prioritize Wellness in Later Life

Among the many challenges of aging, mental health is one that is rarely discussed. The normal aging process can bring with it such issues as depression, chronic grief, and anxiety. Older adults need a safe space to discuss these issues, and this month’s seminar will not only provide that, but will allow for open discussion about mental health among seniors.

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December 11, 2024

Caring For Yourself Both Physically and Emotionally

We know that maintaining our physical health and mental wellness is important. We also know this takes time and energy. So what can we do when we start taking care of a loved one and that time and energy seems to evaporate? It's important and essential to prioritize our own health and wellness while supporting others, but the reality is that many caregivers just don't have the tools to make this a reality.

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November 13, 2024

Downsizing Doesn't Have To Be Limiting - It's Liberating

Lifestyle changes are a natural cycle of life. At some point, we all come to the crossroads where our current lifestyle just doesn't seem to fit anymore. Maybe you're an empty nester, retired or semi-retired. You may have lost your spouse/life partner. Your current home may simply be too large for you. Perhaps some of your friends and neighbours have sold their long-time, cherished home to move into a newer, more manageable residence. Making the decision to downsize isn't easy, but if you change the perspective, it can be a liberating experience.

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October 9, 2024

What You Need To Know About Condominiums and Condominium Living

Moving into a condominium is an exciting change for most people who are ready to downsize. It’s the chance to be free of the burden of home maintenance and to have a fresh start in a new home. Condominium complexes are micro-communities and come in a variety of configurations, from self-contained apartments or townhomes that are easy to lock and leave to semi-detached and detached homes where some or all of the exterior maintenance is taken care of for you. Whether you are already living in a condo or contemplating buying one, there is a lot to learn about rules, inclusions, and owner responsibility.

Video replay not available.

September 11, 2024

Updates on Medical Assistance in Dying: Lessons Learned and What Has Changed Since 2016

At this session, Sandra Andreychuk, Advance Health Care Consultant, Health Care Ethisist and Registered Nurse discussed the sensitive and very timely topic of MAID: Medical Assistance in Dying - what it is, what it isn't and what's changed since 2016.  

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August 14, 2024

Slippers vs Stilettos: Protecting Your Digital Assets

This month's Empowered Seniors Speaker Series was incredibly enlightening as we learned from Lee Poskanzer (Directive Communications Systems) and Christine Brunsden (Legacy You) about the importance of protecting our digital assets and also safeguarding them to ensure they aren't lost or abused when we pass away or are incapacitated. We also learned that as we accumulate more digital assets over time the longer we wait to plan for our digital footprint will make the process more complex and time consuming. Watch this video to learn more the in's and out's of protecting your digital assets.

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July 10, 2024

Top Tips and Tricky Traps of Estate Planning

This month Debbie Stanley,CEO and Senior Estate Administrator, ETP Canada shared a comprehensive look at the key considerations in estate planning, such as the role of an executor, the significance of a well-crafted will, probate procedures, and more. Debbie addressed what is crucial in estate planning, explained what probate entails, and offered strategies to make the process of estate planning and execution as stress-free as possible.

This was an incredibly informative and empowering session!

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June 12, 2024

Frauds and Scams - How to Stay Safe and Protect Yourself From Being Scammed

This month, Empowered Seniors Speakers Series welcomed Detective Constable Dwain Newham from Halton Regional Police for a seminar, Frauds & Scams - Stay Safe and Protect Yourself. Detective Newham shared the latest scams happening in Burlington and surrounding communities, strategies to use to avoid becoming a victim, and how to be more aware of fraud.

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May 8, 2024

The Truth about Death, Dying and Funerals - Navigating End of Life Decisions

Life's final chapter is inevitable, but our own mortality is not a topic we talk about freely. Planning for death is uncomfortable; but pre arranging one's cemetery arrangements, funeral arrangements or a direct cremation/burial enables you to give your loved ones the gift of knowledge and financial stability when you die.

Many thanks to Laurie Smith (Carpenter Hospice), Tara Mae Rusin and Denyse LeBlanc (Arbor Memorial) and Sarah Sunnucks (Smith's Funeral Home) for their insights, knowledge, and resources to us help address this universal stage of life. Please visit the Reports section of this website to access additional resources provided by the speakers at this session:

Carpenter Hospice April 2024 Newsletter  /  When Loss Feels Overwhelming  /  Life Beyond Death; Green Burials

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April 3, 2024

Retirement Communities -They Aren't All The Same

At this session, Jeanette Bock of Fluid Senior Transitions facilitated a panel discussion about the similarities and differences between retirement communities. Panelists included Lindsey Burns - HomeCare Hub, Kim Routledge - Vistamere by Fiieldgate Retirement Home, Sarah Pollice - Burlington Sunrise Senior Living, Lauren Campton - Memory and Company and Burlington Councillor Paul Sharman representing PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for Elderly).

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March 13, 2024

55+ Housing Options

At the March/24 Empowered Seniors Speaker Series, Esther Goldstein and Paul Cutajar, co-owners of the Lifestyle 55+ Network and SeniorCareAccess.com provided an Unbiased Look at Housing Options ... As We Age. They covered various options for independent living right through to Long Term Care. Attendees came away with a better understanding of important considerations to ensure/enhance re housing and their quality of life as the years pass.

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February 14, 2024

Ask The Experts - What do Estates, Finances and Taxes Have To Do With Each Other?

This session is packed with financial, legal, and tax information from some of the region’s best estate planners. Neela White, from the Blue Wing Advisory Group Raymond James, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Stephen Jones, and lawyer Gosha Sekhon were on hand to discuss and answer question about how to prepare and protect yourself and your estate from unexpected taxes and legal challenges.

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January 10, 2024

Healthcare for Seniors - Navigating Ontario's Health Care System for Home and Long Term Care

Start the new year off right with this value-packed seminar! The first presentation of 2024 features a trio of guest speakers who will help you understand the options for home care services, how to access them, and the criteria applied to each.

Taking the time to understand your options for everything from future health care needs to the types of home care are vital to ensure you can maintain your desired quality of living.

There are a lot of choices to be made. Starting by examining your values, wishes, and beliefs can put you on the road to making good decisions, now and into the future. It is vital to be informed, to have a plan, and to appoint someone you trust who can make decisions for you that align with your desires.

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December 13, 2023

Discovering Your Gift

Studies have shown that people with strong social ties are generally happier. This is extremely valid for older adults. Social connectivity can give us purpose and meaning, but it also vital to our well-being. Meeting with others and getting out helps us stay well, and it allow us to use our gifts - the things we are good at doing and that lights our spark.

This month, our guest, Rishia Burke, Executive Director of Community Development Halton, brings us an interactive presentation that will help you identify your gifts, learn how to leverage them, and how your gifts can help build a community.

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November 8, 2023

Unlocking the Door to Benefits You Didn't Know About

Did you know there is a federal program that offers you a tax break for impairments? The disability Tax Credit is often overlooked by many aging Canadians simply because of the misconception around "disability". The program can offer you or your supporting family member a tax break for prolonged visual or hearing impairments, requiring the use of a wheelchair or walker, and other impairments. The tax credit aims to offset some of the extra costs associated with the impairment.

This month, our guest, Christine Brundsen from Provide Calm Inc. will outline how the criteria for determining what constitutes a disability has changed. She'll explain the qualification criteria, common conditions that qualify and the resulting benefits, credits, and supplements that are available.

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October 18, 2023

The Top 10 Topics to Discuss with Your Family

Conversations about finances and future plans are never easy. How do you bring this up with your adult children? How can you open the conversation with your parents?

This month, our guest, Jeanette Bock of Senior Fluid Transitions will offer some guidance on how to start these conversation and why it’s crucially important for you to do so. Jeanette is a passionate and professional consultant who launched her company, Fluid Senior Transitions, in order to help seniors and their families through challenging times and complicated scenarios. She has worked with seniors for the last 8 years, supporting them through decisions about retirement living, and home care, guiding people through crisis situations, later in life transitions and aging in place.

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September 13, 2023

Stay In Your Home and 'Age In Place' With Additional Revenue, Increased Equity and Comfort!

This month, our guest, Garth Brown, shared his expertise on creating legal secondary (and tertiary) suites in your home or on your property. Since 2012, Garth, a resident of Oakville, has been building legal secondary suites in homes throughout the GTHA. He knows first-hand that by-laws now allow for additional apartments, and you don't have to ask your neighbours for permission. Building a additional legal dwellings not only adds equity to your home, it can put extra money in your pocket for maintenance, retirement, or your dream vacation.

In addition,Geeta Pathak, Manager - Halton Housing Help discusses supports Halton Housing Help offers seniors wanting to create additional suites in terms of client matching, landlord information and support.

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August 9, 2023

What is an Advanced Care Plan and Why Does Everyone Need One?

Nobody wants to spend a minute of their time thinking about an illness or emergency that may never happen. But during a decade as an ICU Registered Nurse, Carly Hickey saw first-hand how unprepared most people were for a debilitating illness, a sudden emergency, or death. She realized most Canadian families are caught off guard by medical emergencies and (un)expected death. Advance care planning is a process to help begin preparations and conversations while we are healthy so we don’t have to deal with these difficult transitions during a medical crisis. It’s better to be prepared than to make decisions under stress.

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July 12, 2023

The Silent Worry and Being Prepared Financially for Aging

In Canada, more than 600 people a day turn 65, and almost half of these people will require long-term care. Most of us have nothing saved for that care or even a health crisis and this is the big silent worry. Your plan for affording care shouldn’t be “I hope I just die in my sleep.”

Aging expert Neela White, guided us through what we should know surrounding the challenges of aging and demystifies some common assumptions, the largest being that the government will take care of us.

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June 14, 2023

Understanding how your Will, Real Estate law and your Taxes play out on death

Do you know how and when your assets, such as your home or other properties transfer after death? In this seminar, Estate and Real Estate Lawyer Andrea Parliament outlines four methods of transferring assets on death and explain the tax implications of each.