Annual Report 2017

2017ANNUALREPORT

Page 2 Annual Report 2017

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 (see page 5).

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,Robert Roesler, Board Chair

Linda Giersdorf, Executive Director

Page 3Annual Report 2017

Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging (MNRAAA)

Administrative Office201 N. Broad St., Ste. 102Mankato, MN 56001507.387.1256kwolle@mnraaa.orgwww.MNRAAA.org

Slayton Office1939 Engebretson Ave.Slayton, MN 56172

BOARD OF DIRECTORSChairRobert Roesler, Sherburn

Vice-ChairRose Schlieman, Holloway

TreasurerJason Swanson, Walnut Grove

SecretaryLisa Lange, Sherburn

MembersDr. Timothy Bachenberg, WindomJane Baldwin, MadisonDr. Donald Ebel, MankatoCandace Fenske, MadeliaMary Perry, SlaytonAmy Wilde, Dassel

Executive DirectorLinda Giersdorf

facebook.com/MNRAAA27twitter.com/MNRAAApinterest.com/mnraaa/linkedin.com/compa-ny/10376005

2017 Financial Summary*

*unaudited totals

Support and RevenueFederal Revenue $ 3,416,444State Revenue $ 2,729,194Foundation Grants $ 191,695Other Revenue $ 89,197

Total Revenue $ 6,426,530

ExpensesSalary and Fringe Benefits $ 2,081,239Grantee and Contract Awards $ 2,037,721Contract Management $ 1,538,915Operational $ 671,829

Total Expenses $ 6,329,704

Revenue over Expenses $ 96,826

2017 Revenue: $6,426,530

2017 Expenses: $6,329,704

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Age-Friendly Community Building Project

The MNRAAA board of directors selected the city of Porter (Yellow Medicine County) and the city of Kerkhoven (Swift County) through a competitive application process to participate in the community building process. MNRAAA’s program developers, Jamie Lanners, lead, and Betty Christensen, used processes based on established systems that focus on rural and remote communities to assess the age-friendliness of the two communities and evaluate the project.

As of the end of December, both Porter and Kerkhoven have conducted community-wide surveys and focus groups, and have compiled and analyzed the results. Possible activities

were prioritized and projects were identified as “requiring funding” or “not requiring funding”. Porter decided to use their funds from the Southwest Initiative Foundation to add a handicapped accessible entrance to the Porter Café and Kerkhoven decided to add handicapped accessible doors to the city office/library/community center. Both of these locations are local gathering places and hubs for community activities.

Thanks to the Southwest Initiative Foundation, this project provided Porter and Kerkhoven a unique opportunity to participate in the community building process. It has raised the awareness of their communities and their residents about the unique social and environmental challenges they face as a result of the aging of their residents. It also provided an exciting opportunity for these two communities to assess their assets and desired assets, to engage in a process that moved them forward in enhancing their age-friendliness

In 2017, MNRAAA applied for and was awarded an Age-Friendly Community Building Project grant through the Southwest Initiative Foundation. The grant was to provide opportunities for two communities in the MNRAAA service area to engage in an age-friendly community building process. The goal of the process was to identify the communities’ age-friendly assets and desired assets. Each community would receive $10,000 to develop and implement initiatives that when completed would result in new and/or enhanced assets that have a positive impact on the age-friendliness of the community and its livability for all ages.

Continued on page 5.

Page 5Annual Report 2017

Strategic Planning

and to demonstrate their age-friendly leadership to other local communities.

In the final stages of the Age-Friendly Community Building process, the Kerkhoven city clerk made the following comments about the project: “The Age-Friendly Community Building process was great. The feedback from community members was fantastic and has made a difference in how I, at the city level, have looked at the needs in the community. Also, without the improvements made to our community center, we would not have been as successful in getting our community meal project going. Making the facility more age friendly has made a positive impact on other civic groups that use the community center, as well. I would definitely recommend the Age-Friendly Community Building process to another community, not just for grant purposes, but to get the community together to discuss the strengths and weaknesses in the area.”

Throughout the process, an Age-Friendly Community Work Plan has been developed that includes short-term and long-term outcomes. Specific strategies, supporting activities, timelines and measures or indicators of success were also included. Activities were documented, including inputs and outputs, throughout the grant period. Evaluation was an on-going process that included regular review of the indicators

of success and measuring the progress made toward achieving the outcomes. Changes to the work plan were documented in order to determine what worked, what could have been done differently and what modifications could be

used to improve the process a community takes to enhance its age-friendliness. Finally, utilizing all of this information, MNRAAA is developing a step-by-step guide that other rural communities can follow to enhance their age-friendliness.

In May, board members and staff representatives gathered for a group strategic planning retreat. They discussed the current reality of MNRAAA as the first step in strategic planning. The day concluded with an activity designed to gather and categorize participants’ ideas about MNRAAA’s past, present and future.

In June, board members and staff representatives gathered for the final group strategic planning retreat. First, participants developed a practical vision – what MNRAAA would like to see at the end of its strategic plan. Secondly, they developed

strategic directions that will move MNRAAA toward that vision.

As a result of the strategic planning process, MNRAAA has a new mission statement: “The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging provides advocacy, information, resources, and assistance so that older adults can maintain the lifestyle of their choice”.

Participants also developed MNRAAA’s vision: “Older adults thrive in southwest Minnesota”.

And, they developed two strategic directions: “Expand Access and Availability of Services” and “Expand Organizational Capacity”.

Age-Friendly Community Building Project .............. Continued from page 8.

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Interfaith Caregivers Homemaker/Chore Program:Supporting the Independence of Older Adults in Faribault County

Continued on page 7.

doing light housework. Chore is defined as assistance such as heaving housework, yard work or sidewalk maintenance. In order to be eligible for either of these services,

participants must be age 60 or older and have difficulties in conducting one or more of the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living associated with the service definitions. IFC responded to MNRAAA’s funding announcement by submitting a grant application for homemaker and chore services in Faribault County, resulting in a 2013 Title III-B funding award.

The first year of IFC’s Homemaker/Chore Program was spent implementing the project, including the development of intake forms, service parameters and guidelines, client contribution procedures, and marketing and

outreach plans. By the end of 2013, they had established the project and served 8 people with 151.5 hours of homemaker and 8 people with 52.5 hours of chore services.

Since 2013, IFC’s Homemaker/Chore Program has experienced continual growth and success resulting in 35 people receiving 652.25

hours of homemaker and 37 people receiving 580.75 hours of chore services in 2017. Much of the success of this project can be credited to the hard work of project staff to build relationships with referral sources in the community such as medical facilities, county human services, et. al. In addition, they have honed the service delivery process to include paid homemaker and chore staff that provide a quality service. In their 2017 satisfaction survey, one respondent stated, “I feel much better about staying in my home now that I feel my

Interfaith Caregivers (IFC) is a network of friends and volunteers in Faribault County that organized as a non-profit entity in 1997. The philosophy of IFC is deeply rooted in the belief that every person has a fundamental right to life and to the necessities of life. They believe each person is to be treated justly, with dignity and respect and should have the ability to make their own decisions. Based on this philosophy, IFC exists to help older adults live independently in their own homes for as long as possible through a network of volunteers providing non-medical assistance such as transportation and companionship.

In 2012, MNRAAA identified and announced chore and homemaker services as priorities for the 2013 Title III-B funding cycle. Homemaker is defined as assistance such as preparing meals, shopping for food and other personal items, managing money, answering or making telephone calls and

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IFC Homemaker/Chore Program ..............................Continued from page 6.

Juniper — Your Health. Your Community.

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.

home is clean and organized.” Another said, “Don’t need to go down steps to do the laundry, she [homemaker] vacuums for me, etc., drives for grocery shopping about one time a month.” And finally, “I am well satisfied.”

Another important success of this project has been IFC’s efforts to develop a system to help people receiving services understand the value of the service and to

contribute accordingly. Project recipients are provided with information on the cost of providing homemaker and chore services and are asked to contribute based on a cost sharing scale. Clients then receive value statements outlining the services they’ve received during the period and requesting they “share in the cost” as initially agreed upon. Clients who are low income are asked to make a voluntary

contribution and no one is ever denied service based on their inability or unwillingness to contribute. A positive result of the system IFC has in place is the ability to extend service beyond their Title III funding award. As the program grows and Title III-B funding does not, IFC is able to maintain a level of service that would not have been possible without the generous contributions of the project recipients.

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,

Page 8 Annual Report 2017

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 Healthcare2. Housing3. Transportation4. Respect and Social

Inclusion5. Communication and

Information6. Social Participation7. Outdoor Spaces and

Buildings8. 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.”

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

2030 Community Conversations

Continued on page 9.

Page 9Annual Report 2017

Program Expands to Help Seniors Move Home

stay more than 90 days in a nursing home

• Individuals in a nursing home on a respite stay

• Those who have decided not to move to an assisted living facility after discussing their options with the Senior LinkAge Line®

• People who have reached the end of Medicare-certified home care.

This past fall, MNRAAA held local community provider meetings in Mankato, Willmar,

Montevideo, Marshall and Hutchinson to share information about the Return to Community expansion and how it will benefit area residents. These meetings were well received. Organizations interested in learning more about this expansion can contact the Senior LinkAge Line® to request a presentation or meeting with a staff person serving their area.

The Senior LinkAge Line® is a free statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. Specialists provide one-to-one assistance with helping older adults age well and live well. The Senior LinkAge Line® is Minnesota’s federally-designated State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and is the place to call for help with Medicare and health insurance. For more information, call 1-800-333-2433 or go to www.MinnesotaHelp.info® to chat live with a Senior LinkAge Line® specialist during business hours.

The Senior LinkAge Line® Return to Community initiative has helped more than 5,000 people move from a nursing facility back into the community. Senior LinkAge Line® community living specialists work closely with the resident, their families and nursing facility staff to help with discharge and make sure supports are in place for the return home. Return to Community is expanding beyond nursing homes to help even more seniors in 2018. They include:

• People within a certain socioeconomic set who have discharged from a hospital

• Those whose doctor has ordered them to LINK TO A LOCAL AGING EXPERT

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.

MN2030 .................................. Continued from page 8.

Page 10 Annual Report 2017

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?

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

Numbers represent older adults and caregivers in the Southwest Planning and Service Area. Consumers may be counted more than once if they participated in more than one Title III service.

MNRAAA Participates in Dementia Friends

Over 28,790 Older Adults and Caregivers Supported in 2017

17,538Consumers served

via the Senior LinkAge Line®.

6,751Older adults received 256,826 congregate

meals.

2,249Older adults received

182,596 home-delivered meals.

280Older adults received 1,644 hours of legal

assistance.

111Caregivers received

4,050 hours of respite care.

583Caregivers

participated in 5,346 sessions of caregiver

support services.

842Older adults enrolled in evidence-based health promotion

programs.

90Older adults received 1,946 hours of chore

and homemaker services.

259Older adults received

10,580 one-way transportation

& assisted transportation rides

93Elders from diverse cultures received

5,504 hours of individual special access services.

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Comments from Consumers

They helped us understand what insurancewas available for us without breaking thebank, I appreciated his visit to our home.

She was FABULOUS - can’t thank her enough!!! Made it look a lot easier.

She was patient and very helpful, and fun!!!

I am very grateful for all the help and assistance I have had in the past and present.

Without her it would have been impossible for me to help my parents.

I have recommended 3 of my friends already.

Senior LinkAge Line is such a blessing.Thank you so much.

I appreciated the assistance on something I know nothing about. Thank you!

I put off calling because anybody with a speech problem hates the phone. I was so scared, God

Bless them, thank God I called and got her.

I haven’t seen anyone work so hard in a long time.

I’m so glad the program is available.

The ladies who met with us were very friendly, competent and helpful!

Very cooperative and careful of my privacy.

She doesn’t rush me, made me feel welcome.

She talked in layman’s terms.

I had no idea how to proceed before talking to staff.

Well informed and made things clear.

Already recommended several friends.

I was amazed at all the help there is for seniors - and the help, was very good, I

felt comfortable with all the people when I signed up. Thanks to all the people.

Very helpful service. I tell people about this service all the time.

LINK TO A LOCAL AGING EXPERT

Annual Report 2017

Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging®

201 N. Broad St., Suite 102Mankato, MN 56001