Senior Community Services is Grateful for Partnership with Central Minnesota Council on Aging through the Older Americans Act
Minnetonka, MN – On May 3, 2021, the White House made a proclamation on Older Americans Month 2021. “During Older Americans Month, we celebrate older Americans and the key role they play in sharing the wisdom and experience that inform today’s decisions and actions, and fostering the connection and engagement that build strong, resilient communities. And, we recognize our responsibility to ensure that every American has the opportunity to age with dignity.”
Older Americans Month is an annual event dating back to 1963, when President John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month. It was later renamed Older Americans Month, honoring older Americans and celebrating their contributions to our communities and our nation. The theme for Older Americans Month 2021 is “Communities of Strength.”
Senior Community Services wishes to acknowledge its partnership with the Central Minnesota Council on Aging to ensure that residents in Wright County can age with dignity and the families, friends and neighbors who care for them are support and empowered in their role as a caregiver.
Senior Community Services’ HOME (Household & Outside Maintenance) program provides seniors with quality indoor and outdoor home maintenance services from minor home repairs and painting to yard maintenance, snow removal, home safety assessments and house cleaning. The program welcomes all income levels and seniors are never turned away based on inability to pay. These services are provided by trusted and dedicated staff and volunteers in six cities in Wright County – St. Michael, Hanover, Albertville, Monticello, Otsego and Buffalo and two cities in Sherburn County – Elk River and Big Lake. We try to pair each resident with the same workers and volunteers over time to facilitate engaging community relationships.
Senior Community Services offers a variety of services aimed at supporting caregivers at two Wright County senior centers: Monticello Seniors Center and Crow River Senior Center. Services offered include caregiver consultation, support groups and presentations, family meeting facilitation and other resources for caregivers of older adults. Informal caregivers include spouses, family members, friends and other loved ones of older adults.
These services are supported, in part, by Older Americans Act Funding (Title III grants) through the Central Minnesota Council on Aging. In tough times, communities find strength in people—and people find strength in their communities. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again as we partner with the Central Minnesota Council on Aging.
To learn more about the HOME services, please contact Joe Kaul, Wright & Sherburne Counties HOME Program Coordinator at 763.416.7969 or j.kaul@seniorcommunity.org and to learn more about caregiver services being offered, please contact Becky Allard, LSW, at 952.746.4028 or b.allard@seniorcommunity.org
