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By 8:30 a.m., as many as 200 people were lined up waiting to get into the Senior Expo at the Wilmington Riverfront, an organizer estimated. And it didn't open until 9 a.m. In coming years, the free event will probably grow even more as the area's population continues to age, event coordinator Dale Blair said. "People hear 'Senior Expo' and they think, 'Oh, I'm too young for that!' " said Lisa Wolf of the Delaware AARP. "But nearly a third of the American population are caregivers and as baby boomers age, more and more of us will be moving to that track. If you're not dealing with the issue for yourself, you'll be dealing with it for Mom and Dad." In fact, the elderly population in Delaware is expected to grow by 134 percent, to 238,000, by 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau said last week. That would make Delaware one of only 10 states where people older than 65 outnumber those younger than 18. Sixty-five-year-old LouraLea Meredith of Brandywine Hundred said the event gathered a great collection of little-known resources. "People hardly even know there's a Division of Aging in Delaware," she said. Meredith plans to share the many brochures she got at the expo with older friends who may need help and younger ones caring for elders. But the expo, with more than 80 exhibitors, also had a treat just for her. "My first massage," she said. "It was beautiful." Licensed massage therapist Diana Mulcahy of Christiana Care said the expo helped introduce older Delawareans to therapeutic benefits of massage. Her station had a stream of visitors, she said. "I definitely lost count," she said. "It was great." At 10:15 a.m., about 300 people packed the ballroom of the Bank One Center on the Riverfront to hear the national president of AARP, which represents older Americans, talk about Social Security reform. AARP wants reform in the program but opposes President Bush's proposal for individual accounts. A Social Security representative said there was no political discomfort in appearing at the same event with AARP. "We're working with them," said spokesman Ben Shamburger. Overall, nearly 800 visitors collected a variety of messages before the expo, presented by The News Journal and other sponsors, closed at 1 p.m. Ida Dorsey, 60, of Wilmington said the crowd included many friends and acquaintances. That was a surprise that she said showed issues of aging "cut across all kinds of people and services." But she avoided exhibits on wills and funerals: "I told them, 'I'm not ready for you yet!' " |