Meal Delivery During the Pandemic

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As we continue through the COVID-19 pandemic, we realize that this is not going to be a short sprint but rather a marathon. Like any skilled marathoner will tell you, it is not about speed or a fast start, but rather, pacing is key.

At the onset of the stay-at-home order in Minnesota, we found that many older adults were doing well, as they had prepared for this eventuality of sheltering in place like other states. The story has changed after entering the second month of the stay-at-home order. Personal stockpiles are now running low, freezer space is becoming abundant and folks are beginning to make return calls to home-delivered meal providers.

I want to assure everyone that the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging (MNRAAA) has prepared for this to occur, and we have been working with home-delivered meal providers in Southwest Minnesota. In our frequent meetings, we discuss how current meal production and delivery are going and look to the future to find areas of improvement. (A previously identified need was fulfilled by the wonderful transit providers in our area who stepped up to assist with meal deliveries.)

The home-delivered meal providers who MNRAAA works with under the Older Americans Act, Prairie 5 and Lutheran Social Services, have been reporting an average increase of 35% in meals over the past month and they are ready to provide more! In 2019, roughly 390,000 meals were provided to older adults throughout Southwest Minnesota. The first-quarter numbers for 2020 show a slight increase, and preliminary numbers for April indicate a further growth that we expect to continue into May and June. As mentioned earlier, this growth is something that we have been preparing for and are ready to assist with as needed. MNRAAA will be here to serve our family, friends and neighbors to the finish line and beyond.

If you or someone you know may benefit from home-delivered meals, please contact the Senior LinkAge Line® at 1-800-333-2433 to find a home-delivered meal provider in your area.

Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director

MNRAAA

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Continuing to Work During COVID-19

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Our worlds have been flipped on its side recently with the latest pandemic sweeping across our communities. I wanted to take this opportunity to update everyone on how MNRAAA is doing as well as our partners.

MNRAAA enacted its emergency plan and Continuity of Operations Plan immediately upon hearing the Governor’s orders to close the schools. MNRAAA is structured to allow staff to work from home and found that this switch to full-time working from home was relatively seamless.

Currently, MNRAAA is fully operational and working to assist our older populations to thrive. All of our Title III providers are still working; although they may not be doing their normal work, they are still providing services in their communities. Below are a few examples of our partners and what they are doing. For a full list, visit www.helpolderadultsmn.org:

  • Interfaith Caregivers Faith in Action – have added shopping for food and other essential items to the list of services they provide to people who live in Faribault County. interfaithcaregivers.net
  • Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota – are delivering meals on wheels from all of their sites and have the option for frozen meals. lssmn.org
  • Prairie Five Community Action – with their hot/cold food truck, they can deliver meals on wheels and people have the option to also sign up for frozen meals. prairiefive.org
  • Wellspring Faith in Action – are providing support and education to their caregivers via telephone and also assisting in delivering meals. wellspringfia.org
  • A.C.E. of SW Minnesota – are currently providing caregivers with check-in calls and support utilizing phone and face time, when available. aceswmn.org

Every day brings more changes, so we encourage everyone to stay tuned to the following websites for up-to-date information:

Take care, and stay safe.

Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director, MNRAAA

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Volunteering During COVID-19

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With the events surrounding COVID-19, stay at home order from Governor Walz and unemployment uncertainties, we have heard a lot about volunteering. Pre-pandemic, the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging (MNRAAA) was part of a coalition in the State of Minnesota to bring changes to assist volunteer drivers (volunteerdrivermn.org) and how these drivers are defined by current state law. This movement has taken a back seat as we come together to combat this virus. Volunteering now takes on a new meaning, has a new look and feels different.

Historically when you think of volunteering, you may think of a church bake sale, making cookies for a cookie walk or sitting at a booth for an organization. Now volunteering takes on a whole new purpose. Organizations throughout Minnesota are looking for volunteers to help at-risk groups, such as older adults to deliver groceries and meals (meals on wheels, frozen meals, shelf-stable meals, etc.), pick up medications or simply provide telephone check-ins on individuals. You can find these organizations through news outlets, social media, non-profits and at www.helpolderadultsmn.org.

Volunteering does not have to occur through an organization; there are things you can do yourself to help your neighbors, friends and family. You can pick up mail, offer to walk a pet if someone does not feel well, check in with people via telephone or prepare meals for someone as well.

There are many ways to volunteer and give back if you find yourself with cabin fever, now may be a time to look at helping!

Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director
MNRAAA

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Social Distancing Should Not be Social Isolation

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Greetings to you all. I hope you all are taking care of yourselves, both physically and mentally. At this time, our communities are gearing up for an unprecedented pandemic that will affect everyone. Something I would like to highlight at this time is our mental state during the quarantine, mainly how to stay active and prevent isolation.

Prior to the spread of COVID-19, there was a great push at the Federal, State and local level to recognize and eradicate social isolation for our older population. This is evidenced by recent legislation proposed by Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, where she stated, “Loneliness and social isolation isn’t just bad for older Americans’ mental and physical well-being—it’s bad for our economy too. Connectedness to communities is important for seniors and our economy to thrive.”Now with the current situation, it is essential to maintain social distancing, but that does not mean to isolate people, especially our older population. Allow me to propose some tips for you to engage with isolated older adults during this time:

  • Make a phone call to a distant relative that you know may be living alone;
  • Look at your calendar and see what meetings, organization or club events were canceled and check-in with fellow members; and/or,
  • Write letters to your friends and family contact list.

Remember, we are all in this together, and we will all get through this together. Let’s take care of each other through this pandemic and beyond. Maintain social distancing but breakdown the barriers that may cause social isolation.

Sincerely,

Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director

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