Community News
Alpha and Desiree King educate, empower, elevate and equip seniors for independence
BY PAUL JUNOR
The aging of the Canadian population has placed seniors in Canada at the forefront of social, political, and economic changes.
According to Statistics Canada data, approximately 18% of the Canadian population is 65 years and older. This translates to about 6,835,866 Canadians from the 2016 Census Data (statscan.gc.ca).
Desiree King has worked in different fields over the years, and she wrote on her Facebook page, “Working with seniors is not a transaction. It is a journey and one that has led me to start Senior Living 411.” The mission of this company is, “to educate, equip, ensure, empower, and elevate seniors and their families throughout the aging in place. They arm you with top-notch information and access to other like-minded qualified providers.”
Desiree King started Senior Living 411 Inc in May 2020 and serves as the CEO and founder while her husband, Alpha serves as the CIO. Desiree has an extensive background working with seniors over the past thirty years. She has experience as a Business Development Manager for one of the leading home health care companies in North America. She is currently a certified senior home safety specialist and is an Advisor Member with Age Safe Canada.
In her appearance on Breakfast Television (July 13th, 2018) she revealed that the cost of retirement homes in Ontario range from $1,500 to $ 5,000 per month. She discussed the various senior housing options available and the challenges sandwich generations face with respect to raising their young kids and their elderly parents.
Since the inception of Senior Living 411 Inc, Desiree has engaged in an educational campaign that has presented different topics. On June 7th, 2020, in a Facebook promotion, she introduced her company and states that, “Our mission is to provide education and resources designed to help people live empowered lives and make informed decisions.” She did presentations on June 3rd, 2020 on the importance of an Annual Home Safety Assessment and on June 7th, 2020, she discussed, “Fall Prevention Myths and Solutions.”
On October 1st, 2020, for National Seniors Day, Desiree wrote on her Facebook page, “To the seniors, whose shoulders we stand on. Today, we honor you, for all that you have done to contribute to our lives, our society, and our future. You are loved, treasured, and valued. We at SL411 will continue to advocate for your rights, your safety and for your dignity.”
The month of November 2020 was very busy for Senior Living 411 Inc. November is known as Fall Prevention Month. Desiree and several guests presented Zoom meetings on topics such as: Fall Prevention Exercises, Intro & Exercise Level Test, Strength and Balance, Benefits of Therapeutic Massages, Cognitive Skills and Aging, Personal Emergency Response Systems and How to conduct a Home Safety Assessment.
There have been many concerns in mainstream media about the number of seniors that have died in long-term care homes (LTC) and retirement homes. The Lancet reported on January 16th, 2021, that it is a “national disgrace’ with respect to what has happened. The Toronto Star reported on Monday, March 15th, 2021 that having 3-4 people in the same room has contributed to a higher COVID-19 death rate.
It is an excellent thing that Senior Living 411 intends to do for seniors. They will be much safer inside their own homes, and seniors will understand the many benefits of independent living.