2017 MNRAAA Annual Report – Board Chair’s and Executive Director Letter

/in , , , , , , , /by
Dear Readers:
Welcome to the 2017 Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging® Annual Report. Bob and I hope you will enjoy reading a few of MNRAAA’s highlights from last year.
Beginning in May, board members and staff participated in strategic planning, facilitated by Aurora Consulting. During the planning process, we revised our mission statement, developed a vision
statement and determined our strategic directions for the next three years (read more about Strategic Planning here).
Due to the expansion of the Return to Community initiative, we hired several additional staff and outgrew our space in the Mankato office. Fortunately, we could move our conference room to a space across from our office and use the vacated space for staff.
We said good-bye to three of our board members: Amy Wilde, Jane Baldwin and Dr. Tim Bachenberg. Their insight and dedication to improving the lives of older adults and caregivers will
be missed.
Even though we know we’ll encounter challenges during 2018, we look forward to continuing our efforts to provide advocacy, information, resources, and assistance so that older adults can maintain the lifestyle of their choice.
Keep reading if you’d like to learn about additional 2017 highlights. And, if you haven’t joined us on social media or signed up to receive our newsletter, we invite you to go to page three for our contact information.
Sincerely,
Linda Giersdorf, Executive Director
Robert Roesler, Board Chair
Share on:

MNRAAA Participates in Dementia Friends

/in , , /by

Minnesota has a new tag line. As of the end of 2017, Minnesota is now the Land of 10,225 Dementia Friends. MNRAAA is proud to be a part of this accomplishment by recording a total of 1,291 Dementia Friends, 944 of which were trained in 2017.

Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects people, each of us can make a difference for people touched by dementia.

To become a Dementia Friend, you participate in a one-hour information session presented by a Dementia Friends Champion. You will learn five key messages about dementia and a bit about what it’s like to live with dementia. As a Dementia Friend, you turn your new understanding of dementia into a practical action that can help people living in your community. Your action can be big or small – because every action counts!
To find a Dementia Friends Information Session in your community visit http://actonalz.org/dementia-friends-information-sessions.

MNRAAA, the Land of 1,291 Dementia Friends! How high can we go in 2018?

Read a PDF of 2017 MNRAAA Annual Report.

Share on:

2030 Community Conversations

/in , , /by

The year is 2030. Imagine you are 85. You live in your own home and may or may not have family to support you. You take medications, have chronic health conditions and need assistance to maintain your independence.
What does your home look like? Are you receiving services? What services are working well and what services are not working so well? What does your community look like? What needs to happen now to shape the range of services and supports that we want as we grow older?

In 2017, MNRAAA partnered with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, to look ahead to the year 2030, and here’s why:

  • In the years between 2010 and 2030, 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day!
  • Only 5% of the older population lives in long-term care facilities. The other 95% are either living independently or are being cared for by family members.
  • 2030 marks the year baby boomers begin turning 85!

Using a small group process, Program Development and Coordination staff conducted eight Community Conversations throughout MNRAAA’s twenty-seven county service area. Participants in the conversations included older adults, family members, service providers, elected officials, minority communities, et. al. The information gathered was reported to the state and will be used to identify the policy issues individuals believe are most important to our future as an older society.

On December 13, 2017, Kari Bensen, executive director of the Minnesota Board on Aging, reported on the preliminary findings and top themes from the 2030 Community Conversations held around the state. Top themes in rank order included:

  1. Community and Healthcare
  2. Housing
  3. Transportation
  4. Respect and Social Inclusion
  5. Communication and Information
  6. Social Participation
  7. Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
  8. Civic Participation and Employment

Benson noted in her report, “We know that the best future for older adults in Minnesota is one developed by stakeholders. We spent 2017 engaging partners across the state for greater impact.” She added, “We will be spending 2018 testing Goals and Priorities and developing Strategies and Action Steps with stakeholders across the state to develop a plan that will guide us to 2030.”

If you missed the 2030 Community Conversation in your area, you can still provide input by completing a survey at http://surveys.dhs.state.mn.us/snapwebhost/s.asp?k=149581989669. To learn more about MN 2030, visit https://mn.gov/dhs/mn2030.

Read a PDF of 2017 MNRAAA Annual Report.

Share on:

Juniper — Your Health. Your Community.

/in , , /by

Minnesota’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) continued their efforts to foster collaboration across health care providers, health plans, long-term care and housing providers, home and community-based providers and a host of other community organizations to build a statewide network of evidence-based programs. Evidence-based programs help individuals manage chronic health conditions, prevent falls, and foster well-being. When AAAs began this collaborative effort, they temporarily called it “Independence Through Healthy Aging”. During 2017, AAAs worked with a consultant and “Juniper – Your Health. Your Community.” was born. Not only does the Juniper network provide a set of evidence-based programs, it provides an infrastructure for training community-based leaders. In 2018, the Juniper website will be launched at https://yourjuniper.org.

The managing partner for Juniper is the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging. They provide program support, data analysis and overall project management.

Read a PDF of 2017 MNRAAA Annual Report.

Share on: