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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Helping Older Adults Master Aging in Madelia

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Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging in partnership with the Madelia Community Hospital Foundation, is pleased to announce that we are the first in the area to offer an innovative new ten-session health and wellness program to area community members 55 and over. The Aging Mastery Program® (AMP) was developed by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and has been successful at helping older adults build their own playbook for aging well.

This is a wonderful opportunity for older adults to participate in, and reap the benefits of, this cutting edge program. We are currently recruiting 20 adults, ages 55 + to participate in the ten-session educational program.

AMP is a fun, innovative, and person-centered education program that empowers participants to embrace their gift of longevity by spending more time each day doing things that are good for themselves and for others. The program encourages mastery—developing sustainable behaviors across many dimensions that lead to improved health, stronger economic security, enhanced well-being, and increased societal participation.

We will host an informational meeting on March 6th at 10:00 AM at the Madelia Branch Library.

Classes will be Fridays, March 13th through April 17th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Watonwan County Library – Madelia.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, call Kelly McDonough, Program Developer at (507) 387-1256. If this program piques your interest stop by or call to learn more!

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How is Your Loved One/Caregiver Doing?

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The holidays are over, the celebrations have ceased and things, for the most part, have returned to normal. People resume their jobs and their daily activities. However brief the respite that was the holidays, for some, has left too soon.

In our area of rural Minnesota, families reunite during the holidays. During these visits, they may see Mom or Dad struggling to take care, not only of themselves but also their spouse. For those that have traveled back home, they may feel an urge to help their parents in cleaning, cooking or other tasks.

Often, the focus is on the ailing parents and how they are doing. But, do they ask the family member(s) that are helping Mom and Dad on a regular basis how they are doing? Do they ask if there is anything they may need help with? When everyone leaves, are Mom and Dad able to care for themselves, is the caregiver able to provide the care needed, or does the caregiver need more assistance? Do they make sure the caregiver is taking care of themselves?

As a family and as a society, how do we help caregivers avoid burn out? How do we prevent further health issues for the caregiver, let alone more potential health issues with the one they are caring for? We need to do a better job of recognizing and assisting the caregiver.

According to AARP’s most recent Valuing the Invaluable: 2019 Update, providing support, training and respite improve health outcomes for all and are shown to reduce hospital re-admissions. Therefore, I challenge those who may live a distance away to be a support to not only the care recipient but also to the caregiver. Reach out, offer assistance, respite and let them know you are there to help when needed. Happy 2020!

Sincerely,
Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director
MNRAAA

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Let’s Celebrate Older Americans Daily!

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Each month has its unique monikers in relation to observations or awareness.  For example, February is American Heart Month where we take time to have a greater knowledge of heart […]

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