Connecting older adults and caregivers to services that support healthy aging and independence
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Snowbound Success Stories
Happy Holiday Traditions
Welcome Home Kids: Let's Talk
Reducing Holiday Stress
Volunteer Spotlight
Recipe of the Month: Sugar Cookie Bars
Memory Cafe at Aquarium
Dementia Friendly Businesses
Do you have an idea?
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Snowbound Success Stories
A record snow storm slams Duluth
On November 29th, 2019 a massive snowstorm rolled into Northern Minnesota and dropped a record amount of snow, the most snow recorded in a single day in the city's history on Nov 30th at 14.5 inches of snow! The snow started falling late on Friday night and didn't end until Sunday morning leaving most areas in 20+ inches of heavy snow over the three day event. Travel was not advised and in many areas impossible regardless of the vehicle. To make things worse, the wind gusted up to 50 mph off of Lake Superior making blizzard conditions for everyone living in the area. The city was completely snowbound for days! But in the wake of the record storm, Duluth residents armed with shovels, snow blowers and plows started digging out!
In West Duluth, the snow had completely snowed in Carol, one of Age Well Arrowhead's customers. She had planned ahead and was signed up in advance for the assistance of volunteer shoveling. Volunteer's Tracy and Corey arrived and helped with the snow removal on her sidewalk, doorways and driveway. With the deep drifted snow any shoveling was difficult but as a team they managed to put a smile on Carol's face. She stated
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They are such kind and lovely people. Please convey my deep gratitude to them".
One of our client's was stuck in her driveway for a week after the big storm and was running out of food and needed to get to the post office to pay her bills. Unfortunately the heavy snow and ice at the end of the driveway was too much for her to remove on her own and she was unable to contact anyone to assist her. One of our volunteers went to her home, broke up the ice, and cleared the end of the driveway so she was finally able to get out of her driveway with her vehicle. The client called afterward and exclaimed her happiness and appreciation of the work that was done and her feeling of relief knowing she was able to get out of her driveway again.
A third client who uses a wheelchair was unable to get out of her house due to the heavy snow piled up outside her door.
As a client of Age Well she was shoveled out and able to get out of her home. She called us the next morning and said "I woke up with happy tears in my eyes from the help and kindness of the two volunteers who helped me dig out from the storm."
Our final story involves Age Well Arrowhead's Caregiver Counselor, Jeannette Lindgren. She had traveled with her husband Nick to the Twin Cities area to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with family. As the storm intensified and the reports began to come from the Duluth Area, the Lindgren's began to worry about their home and driveway. With the stream of heavy snow reports they decided to call their new neighbor to gather information about what was happening in Duluth. Their new neighbor Dusty who recently moved with his family from Iowa, reassured them that everything was OK and that he was excited to help with snow removal in the neighborhood. He eagerly worked on the Lindgren's driveway and by the time Jeannette and Nick returned from the cities, Dusty had used his new snowblower to clear their driveway and sidewalk. Dusty joked that they could "wear their flip flops up the sidewalk" where he had used the new snowblower.
Need snow removal? Plan ahead and sign up for Age Well Arrowhead's shoveling program so that you are not stranded or snowed in the next time it snows! Contact Michelle at 218-623-7807
Want to help Age Well Arrowhead shovel out those in need? Contact us now! Contact Kim at 218-623-7805
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“We’re here to help” Let us know what you need. Call 623-7800 today!
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Current needs at Age Well Arrowhead:
Transportation
URGENT NEED
Snow Shoveling
As available
Remote Groceries to Go Order Taker
Monday or Tuesday as available
Groceries to Go Shoppers
Kenwood- Wednesday
Cloquet- Wednesday
West Duluth- Thursday
Superior- Thursday
Subs For ALL Positions Needed
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Join us in welcoming our new volunteers!
Heavin A.
Tanya G.
David K.
Peyton L.
Connaught L.
Lexi P.
Jade S.
Jerad S.
Douang T.
Andrea W.
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Age Well would like to thank the following volunteers for their years of dedication.
Happy Anniversary!
Joan P.
Paul P.
Shelley C.
William G.
Elizabeth M.
David W.
Jane W.
Carol C.
Tyler F.
Mary J.
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Age Well Arrowhead would like to recognize the following volunteers as they reach high milestones for the number of hours they have volunteered since 2017.
Thank you for your contribution!
100 or more hours
Cathy A.
Claire B.
Laura L.
Brody G.
Tim M.
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Try this great Snack Recipe!
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Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
1 stick (½ cup) salted butter softened to room temperature
·1 cup sugar
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1 egg
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1 tsp vanilla extract
·2 cups all-purpose flour
·1 tsp baking powder
·¼ cup festive sprinkles
·1 container frosting of your choice
Cooking Steps
1.
Preheat oven to 350
oF. Line a 9x9” baking pan with parchment paper.
2.
Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy and then beat in egg and vanilla. Finally, beat in flour and baking powder, a little bit at a time. Gently stir in sprinkles.
3.
Spread batter into prepared baking pan.
4.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Once finished baking, allow cookie bar to cool fully. Remove cookie bar from pan by lifting up on parchment paper.
5.
Spread frosting on top of cookie bar and decorate with icing or sprinkles, if desired.
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The American Red Cross and their partners will install free smoke alarms for those who cannot afford their own or are physically unable to install an alarm. A limited number of specialized bedside alarms are also available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Keep your family safe by installing smoke alarms or updating the ones in your home.
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A few topics we are working on for the next newsletter...
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Volunteer Spotlight
New Years Resolutions
Winter Activities!
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Got an idea for the newsletter?
Is there a topic you would like to learn more about? Would you like to write something in the next issue?
Let us know! We would love to hear from you!
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At Age Well Arrowhead we have compiled some of our fun holiday traditions and wanted to share them with our newsletter readers. We hope that it allows you to reflect on your own holiday traditions or possibly learn some new ones!
Janye Petrich; Grocery Coordinator- A tradition in Jayne's family is making Potica a thin style bread with honey and walnuts. The key to a successful Potica bread loaf is to roll out the dough extremely thin before baking. Jayne has continued this family tradition with her mother who is living in a nursing home. They make the Potica bread together and enjoy the tasty holiday treat!
Peter Hafften; Training Coordinator- One of the traditions that has existed in my family is that we do a huge snacks style dinner. This has expanded and become quite fun and enjoyable evening. Foods that often make the dinner snack list include cheese and chocolate fondue, shrimp cocktail, smoked gouda cheese and crackers, smoked salmon, lefse and pickled herring. The rich menu is only good in small amounts but its something that we all enjoy every year together.
Jeannette Lindgren;Caregiver Counselor- I like to think about all of the years that we have enjoyed Lutefisk dinner with our family. Many years ago we would enjoy the dish with my whole family and we would offer meatballs for those who didn't care for the fish. Now most of the family sticks to eating the meatballs but my brother and I still enjoy the Lutefisk as a great tradition.
Mary Bovee; Executive Director- I am blessed to have a French background so a tradition in my family growing up was to have Tourtiere (French meat pie) at Christmas time. We normally had it Christmas Eve and right after Christmas Day mass. French Canadian Tourtiere contains pork, potatoes, onions, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. It is served either warm out of the oven but traditionally it is served at room temperature. I think we all associate the holidays with the smells and tastes of special treats served only at Christmas. For me it is the smell and taste of my mother’s Tourtiere. I made three pies this year. I shared one with friends and the other two will be devoured by me and my siblings. When we eat Tourtiere, we have memories of Christmas past when we were young and had no cares or worries. It makes me think of my mother. I will feel that way next week when I am eating Tourties after Christmas mass!
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Thank you to our generous donors in December. We appreciate your support of Age Well Arrowhead and those we serve.
Mary and Rick Hershey
Kay McDonnell
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Welcome Home Kids:
Let's Talk Money and Wills:
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-SMART INSIGHTS FROM PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS-
When you think about holiday family gatherings with your adult children, you probably picture gifts and turkey with all the trimmings. But between bites, it's also a good time to share your wishes and discuss your estate plan.
Amid all the gift-giving and other celebrations, holiday gatherings may be one of the few opportunities to provide important financial information to your adult children — as you’re all together. The holidays present a unique opportunity for parents to speak with their adult children about a difficult subject; plans for your estate.
Who is it that you have designated to make key financial decisions and medical decisions in the event you and your spouse/partner become incapacitated?
Power of Attorney or Power of Attorneys need to have access to key data — legal documents, financial statements and computer passwords.
Health Care Agent (Living Will), needs to listen and understand your philosophy and wishes for food, water, life support and be able to carry those wishes out for you with a signed Healthcare Directive in their hand. If something happens to you, this health care document needs to be quickly accessed.
Your adult children are likely to be the people who will care for you later in life or coordinate your care-giving needs. They need to know information about your medical and long-term care plans. It may not seem like the right time to discuss this topic, but the goal is to help your adult children understand how their future will be impacted once you aren’t around. So, consider finding a sliver of time to help them understand your financial decisions and healthcare decisions, and how you’ve prepared to make life easier for them for years to come. Just do it! You will be glad you did and so will your children.
Resources:
www.honoringchoices.org/health-care-directives/english
www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Handbooks/Probate/default.asp
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We need your help this holiday season as a volunteer at Age Well Arrowhead. We are in need of
snow shoveling,
grocery shopping, homemaker, and transportation volunteers. Join our team and help seniors in your community this holiday season!
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The Age Well Volunteer Spotlight
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This month Age Well Arrowhead wants to give recognition and appreciation to one of our volunteer drivers, Lynn B..
Lynn picked up an incredible 13 rides during the month of December to transport our clients from medical, dental, and personal appointments. The clients have always said how wonderful he is to have as their driver. His kind and friendly demeanor and the great conversations are what they enjoy most when riding in the vehicle with him.
"Thank you Lynn" -Age Well Arrowhead team
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Reducing Holiday Stress
7 easy ways to reduce stress
Keep it simple
Stay within your personal routine
Do your shopping early!
Develop time schedule
Indulge guilt free
Set a budget
Relax, rest and enjoy!
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Memory Cafe Goes to the Aquarium
The Age Well Arrowhead Memory Cafe has been enjoying wonderful experiences at the Great Lakes Aquarium during November and December. The group has interacted with the otters. fish, jelly fish, and learning about all of the different aquatic invaders found in the Great Lakes. The atmosphere at the Aquarium has been both fun and educational during each visit! Below are some exciting pictures that capture the best moments.
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Congratulations to the Fairview Hearing Wellness Center for completing Dementia Friendly at Work Training.
8 employees completed the training in December
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If you are interested in learning more about how your business can become dementia friendly, contact Peter Hafften at 218-623-7800
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Age Well Arrowhead connects older adults and caregivers to services that support healthy aging and independence.
We are passionate about serving the older adults and caregivers of our community. For this reason, Age Well Arrowhead was founded in 2014 as a local non-profit. We are funded by a Live Well at Home grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Title III funding administered by the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging, a grant from the Minnesota Board on Aging, contributions, and service fees. These grants allow us to provide services that are easily accessible and affordable.
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Jayne Petrich
, Groceries to Go Coordinator
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Kevin Pillsbury, President
Joe Sandbulte, Secretary
Jennifer Smith, Treasurer
Stacy Foster, Board Member
Travis Hill, Board Member
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Follow Us on Facebook and stay up to date on the latest news and events
with Age Well Arrowhead.
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