Find the Good

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Australian Wildfires.
Royalty leaving United Kingdom.
Impeachment.
COVID-19 Pandemic.
Civil Unrest.

All of which have taken place in the first half of 2020.

When you turn on the news, check your social media feed or talk to a friend, one can easily be taken on a roller coaster ride of negative information. Thus far, the abridged version of current events has not left us with a feel-good attitude.

One thing I always try to do is find that silver lining, find the good in things. But I’m not going to lie, this has not been easy in 2020. Nonetheless, it’s something I strive to do daily, and I encourage you to do as well. Find the good in the day, the week or the month.

I’d like to share a couple of positive things that I’ve noticed during these times; I’ve spent more time in the garden, which sits along a major highway, so friends and neighbors like to come by and chat. And if you know me, I do enjoy a good conversation. This opportunity would have been missed and I would not have had the opportunity to speak with many of them. I’ve played new board games with my family, something that may not have happened in a “normal” year.

Sure, I would love to go back to the way things were pre-Murder Hornets and other weird anomalies that have taken place this year, but we do not have the luxury of time travel, so we make do and make the best of the situation. We are all missing some aspects of life, missing out on celebrations and vacations. If you dig deep and look, remember the positives that you have going on right now. Find the good!

Jason W. Swanson

Executive Director

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Turning 65 – Let the Phone Calls Begin

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Linda Tobias, Senior LinkAge Line Client Service Center Supervisor

Turning 65 comes with many emotions for me. I am excited about the next phase of my life. Is retirement a reality for me, or am I going to continue to do the job I love with the Senior LinkAge Line and the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging?

Recently I have been inundated with calls trying to sell me a Medicare insurance plan. Yesterday I decided to answer one of the calls. She said she was with Medicare, but after I questioned her further, and she said, “Medicare Benefits.” Then she said she wanted to tell me about my Medicare options. Since my job with the Senior LinkAge Line is to know Medicare thoroughly, I was skeptical.

I asked, “Are you selling insurance?” and she said, “No, we advocate for you, so you can get the coverage you need when you turn 65.” After transferring me to someone who could tell me about plans available in my area, the new person proceeded to tell me she was a licensed insurance agent—not selling anything, huh?

After the agent tried to make small talk (asking for my zip code and date of birth), she proceeded to try to sell me a specific type of plan without asking if I was planning to retire or keep working.

When I asked about other options, she ignored my question. She only told me about two companies and skipped all others. She told me she was unbiased and wanted what was best for me. She never asked me questions about my health, lifestyle, which medications I take, the pharmacy I use or what I could afford. These all should be considered when choosing Medicare coverage.

If you are turning 65 and getting the same type of phone calls and mailings that I am, remember “buyer beware.” Hang up; these callers are looking for your dollars, as opposed to trying to help you save money.

Before you make any decisions, please give the Senior LinkAge Line a call at 800-333-2433 to get true non-biased help. We are a free-of-charge service provided by the state of Minnesota. We don’t sell insurance and won’t steer you towards a particular company or type of policy. We believe in what we do, and we have experts across the state ready to help you.

Retirement should be an exciting time for us. Let the Senior LinkAge Line give you the information you need so you can make the best choice for your future healthcare needs.

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MNRAAA Awards Grants to 23 Organizations in Southwest Minnesota

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MNRAAA received $100,000 from the Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) to assist organizations serving older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those funds have been distributed to twenty-three organizations throughout Southwest Minnesota.

“In April, when we received the ability to do this work through the Minnesota Council of Foundations, we made it a point to focus on community-based organizations and to get this money turned around and into the communities as soon as possible,” stated Executive Director Jason W. Swanson.

The grant dollars were established to assist our communities as we continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic. The recipient organizations focus on supporting older adults, caregivers and/or persons with disabilities. Organizations are using these dollars to assist in providing nutrition services to potentially isolated individuals and provide their services virtually.

Recipient Name County
Bethesda Day Break Kandiyohi
Brewster Senior Center/Senior Dining Nobles
Brookside Senior Living Chippewa
Cedar Crest of Silver Lake McLeod
Central Health Care of Le Center Le Sueur
Chippewa Enterprises, Inc. Chippewa
Fahan Transportation Blue Earth, Waseca, Nicollet
Greater Mankato Area United Way Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
Greater Round Lake Community Nobles
Grove City CARE Meeker, Kandiyohi
Hearth Adult Life Programs Chippewa, Lac qui Parle
Heartland Industries Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Redwood, Yellow Medicine
Hendricks Community Hospital Lincoln
Lake Benton Diners Club Lincoln
Madison Avenue Apartments Lyon
MRCI Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
Prairie Five Community Action Council Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine
Rock County Opportunities Rock
Singing Hills Chorus Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
VINE Faith in Action Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
Vista Prairie at Copperleaf Kandiyohi
Vista Prairie at Garnet Gardens Redwood
Waseca Area Caregiver Services Redwood
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Supporting Aging and Caregiving in the Workplace

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Did you know that according to a study by Harvard Business School, three of four employees are a caregiver of a child, parent, neighbor or friend? These numbers were projected to grow before the COVID-19 pandemic and will likely continue to do so afterward.

Program Development staff have a goal to reach employers with beneficial information because 75% of employees are caregivers. Also, before Covid-19, one-third of employees left their job because of caregiving responsibilities. Caregivers with supportive employers are more productive and more likely to stay, helping to alleviate the expense of recruiting and training newly hired staff.

We are reaching out to employers in our region to share strategies and resources for embracing and adapting to workforce trends and challenges. Our goal is to assist employers to keep skilled employees and boost productivity by providing targeted support to older employees and working caregivers.

We’ve developed a presentation available called “Workforce Trends: Aging and Caregiving in the Workplace” that is available to employers. The presentation can also be delivered virtually.

At MNRAAA, we also have presentations to aide employees such as Dementia Friends, How to Plan and Pay for Long-Term Care and Welcome to Medicare. Presentations are free of charge and can be modified to meet each employer’s time frame. Contact Krista Eichhorst at [email protected] for more information.

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