TRAIL of Johnson County hosting senior housing fair this week

CORALVILLE — TRAIL of Johnson County, a local nonprofit focused on helping older adults age in place, is hosting a senior housing and services fair in Coralville on Thursday.

The fair will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Kirkwood Regional Center, 2301 Oakdale Blvd. The event is free and open to the public.

“Whether you are senior or maybe you have elderly parents who you may think on down the road may need some kind of assistance, this is a great fair to come and visit with many of those organizations that actually appear in the housing guide,” said Lesanne Fliehler, TRAIL’s marketing and communications director.

The group is hosting the fair in response to the growth in senior housing options in the area, as well as increased need for at-home services, executive director Bob Untiedt said in a news release.

“TRAIL members, their friends and families are curious about these new senior living communities and their amenities,” Untiedt said. “This event allows attendees to sample the features of many local facilities all in one place.”

There are a handful of senior housing developments in the works in Iowa City and surrounding communities. Approved senior living projects include Hickory Trail Estates, Monument Hills, and NEX senior housing, which will have 36 affordable units.

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There is also a project coming to the west side of Iowa City near St. Andrew Presbyterian Church on Gathering Place Lane.

Attendees will learn more about the various at-home service agencies, including TRAIL, that help seniors continue living at home as they age, Untiedt said.

TRAIL’s senior housing and services guide for 2023 also will be available while supplies last. This is a 60-page booklet with descriptions of more than 30 senior living facilities, 17 at-home providers and more.

“Whether you are senior or maybe you have elderly parents who you may think on down the road may need some kind of assistance, this is a great fair to come and visit with many of those organizations that actually appear in the housing guide,” Fliehler said.

TRAIL first had a senior housing fair in 2018 that was for members only, Fliehler said.

The event was popular enough that the group had a similar event scheduled in 2020 that would be open to the public, but that was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The senior housing guide from 2020 was re-imagined into an online-only publication, Fliehler said.

“Folks who accessed the guide online or were able to obtain one of the printed copies were very enthusiastic, which was in part why we chose to repeat and expand the guide and the fair in 2023,” Fliehler said.

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