LARSO health fair offers resources for older adults, caregivers

More than 30 vendors filled the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center at 1101 Bathtub Row on Thursday, June 4, as LARSO used its annual health fair to connect older adults, caregivers and family members with practical help on aging. The theme, Stronger Together: Building Emotional Resilience, pointed to more than routine wellness screening. It reflected the emotional strain that can come with caregiving, isolation and changing health needs.

LARSO said the fair was designed for community members age 55 and older, along with families and caregivers, and lunch was included. The vendor mix was built around the decisions many local residents face as they age, with information on in-home care, assisted living, county services, health and wellness, and related support. Organizations on hand included Los Alamos Medical Center, Hear New Mexico, New Mexico Death Care Network, the Alzheimer’s Association, VITALANT, the Aging and Disability Resource Center, the State Health Insurance Program and the Los Alamos Fire Department.

That lineup matters in Los Alamos because senior services are not a side issue. LARSO has described the Betty Ehart and White Rock senior centers as places where older adults can find classes, workshops, transportation, meals and other support. A 2024 profile of the centers said their services have included daycare, community meals, home-delivered meals, health and wellness activities, social and creative programs, entertainment and case-management referrals.

Ramon Garcia, LARSO’s executive director, and Leah Blackwell, the organization’s marketing and programming coordinator, were at the fair as residents moved between tables and asked questions. The annual event has become a reliable place for direct contact between service providers and the people who may need them most. A 2025 fair listing said that year’s event drew more than 40 vendors, showing how large the resource network has become.

For caregivers and older residents, the value of the fair was practical: it put medical contacts, insurance help, county resources and support services in one room before a crisis forced a decision. LARSO says it has served the community since 1998, and the county’s senior centers have existed in some form since 1970. The fair showed how that long-running network continues to anchor aging in Los Alamos.