April 2023

Visit our website at: https://vital-aging-network.org/

In this edition

• Health maintenance tips from Dr. Paul Takahashi of the Mayo Clinic
• Our series with Mia Bremer continues
• A note about medical assistance enrollment
• About our Aging with Gusto program
• Wellness 50+ news and events
• Resources from other agencies

Practical tips for maintaining your health following the COVID pandemic

VAN has received support to help get the word out to older adults that it's important to participate in preventative health care strategies like getting regular health checks, managing chronic health issues, staying current on immunizations and vaccines, and participating in other strategies---like eating well and being active.

This month, we're pleased to present an article by Paul Takahashi MD, MPH of the Mayo Clinic. He points out that while many of us delayed preventative care during the depths of COVID, the risks are much reduced now. And he offers practical tips about preventative care and health maintenance for older adults following the COVID 19 pandemic. Read his thoughts here.

We continue our series about health and aging with advice from Mia Bremer

In March, we began a monthly series of columns about health and wellness by Mia Bremer, a long-time friend of VAN.

Mia has been a fitness professional for 43 years, specializing in older adult fitness for the past 25 years.  She holds a B.S. in scientific and technical communications and certifications from the American Council in Fitness, including Personal Fitness Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist and Health Coach. She is an IDEA Master Trainer and FallProof ™ Balance and Mobility Specialist through the Center for Successful Aging at California State University, Fullerton.

This month, she shares her thoughts about the importance of being engaged in life and the world around you. Read her article here.  

You can still see Mia's discussion about osteoarthritis and exercise. by clicking the link. (this article will download to the lower, left corner of your screen.)

(Please consult with your physician before beginning a physical activity program)

And speaking of being engaged in your own health--here's a reminder

Each year, Minnesotans enrolled in Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare must have their eligibility reviewed to verify they still qualify for coverage. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this renewal process was paused, and Minnesotans enrolled in these programs maintained continuous health care coverage. This spring, when the federal health emergency ends, the standard renewal process will resume. 

If you’re among the 1.5 million Minnesotans who rely on Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare, make sure your current contact information is on file, especially if you’ve moved in the last three years. Visit mn.gov/dhs/mycontactinfo or call (800) 657-3672 to update your address, phone number and email address. Also, be on the lookout for official information and instructions about how to renew your coverage, and be prepared with some documentation when it’s time to renew. Learn more at mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage.

News from Aging with Gusto

Aging with Gusto and its Key Contributors

In February, we began a series of articles about the key contributors to Aging with Gusto. Those contributors are:

1. Doing things that you find satisfying or fulfilling.
2. Striving to maximize physical health.
3. Striving to maximize cognitive health (thinking).
4. Striving to maximize emotional health (feelings).
5. Learning new things and challenging yourself.
6. Having choice and control over decisions that affect your life.
7. Being connected with family, friends and a broader community.
8. Having a sense of purpose, doing things that are meaningful, and contributing to something greater than yourself.

This month, AWG facilitator Barb Rose presents her thoughts about Key Contributor 5: Learning new things and challenging yourself. Barb has been involved with VAN for the past six years as both an Aging With Gusto facilitator and a Wellness 50 + facilitator. She formerly worked as a consultant with Side by Side Associates and for the Wilder Foundation. She mostly lives on the west side of St. Paul but this year she and her husband spent their first winter away from Minnesota in the Pacific Northwest. Barb loves outdoor activities like biking, kayaking and birding and is currently trying to write a historical novel based on a family story. Read her reflections here.

About our Aging with Gusto and Confronting Ageism workshops

Aging with Gusto workshops: are designed as a three-part, interactive series of sessions, with each session lasting about 90 minutes. Sessions may be held in person or via an online platform such as Zoom. They are led by trained facilitators.

Learn more about Aging with Gusto by watching this short video.

Download this flyer about the work of Aging with Gusto

Confronting Aging workshops: are one-session events also led by trained facilitators, that guide you and your group through activities that explore the roots and impacts of ageism and create opportunities for you to discover ways to combat them.

Both workshops are available in person or virtually via Zoom.

Jan Cunningham is Aging with Gusto's program coordinator. Contact her at jancunninghamAWG@gmail.com for information about scheduling Aging with Gusto and Confronting Aging workshops for your groups.

You can join an in-person Aging with Gusto, three-session workshop in May

VAN is offering a three-session, in-person Aging with Gusto workshop series at the Thompson Park Activity Center (1200 Stassen Lane, West St. Paul), on Tuesdays May 9, 16, and 23. from 9:30-11 am. This is the ideal opportunity for you to experience these guided conversations that explore strategies for living "with gusto"! Register at Learn more and register here . (there is a $24 fee for this series.)

Join in on a Confronting Ageism seminar--April 20

Lifespark at Boulder Ponds Senior Living in Lake Elmo, 192 Jade Trail N., will be holding a Confronting Ageism seminar on Thursday, April 20, from 1-3:30 pm. Dr. Bill Thomas, a geriatrician and entrepreneur, will be giving a presentation along with our facilitators, Donna Comer and Sally Brown.

PLEASE RSVP to Charli Fregine to attend in-person or to receive a Zoom invite. cfregine@lifespark.com or 612.431.2430

(You can click on the image to the right to see more information about this event.)

Wellness 50+ community-wide events

Wellness 50+ hosts a series of community-wide events in addition to events organized and led by our four community groups (Oakdale, Cottage Grove, Stillwater, and Phillips neighborhood).

All of our community-wide events are listed in this newsletter AND are posted on the Wellness 50+ website calendar (https://vital-aging-network.org/wellness-50). 

Registration for community-wide events is via our Meetup group "Wellness 50+ Twin Cities". Join the group (Wellness 50+ Twin Cities Meetup Group). You will receive email notifications when an event is ready for registration.

Upcoming events

--1st Tuesday May 2, Bird Watching at Cottage Grove Ravine Park, 10 am

Shelly Bowman will be back to lead us on a 1.5 hour hike listening and looking for birds during the May migration season. Register through Meetup (May 2 Bird Watching at Cottage Grove Ravine Park).  Cottage Grove Ravine Park, 9653 Keats Ave. S., Cottage Grove.

--2nd Monday May, 8 Get Your Bike Ready for Riding at Oakdale Discovery Center, 9:45 am ($5 cost)

This event will get you and your bike ready for riding this season. Safe riding rules and tips will be shared. Basic maintenance will be performed along with bike and helmet fitting. eBikes owners will share their experience owning and riding these bikes. An option to ride on the nearby paved trails will be provided along with a visit to a local bike shop. Register through Meetup (May 8 Get Your Bike Ready for Riding). Oakdale Discovery Center, 4444 Hadley Ave. N., Oakdale.

--3rd Monday May 15, Kayak St Croix Rookery, 8:45 am ($30 rental, $10 bring your own)

Kerri Kolstad of Wahoo Adventures will lead us on a paddle on the St. Croix River from the Boomsite Marina to the island rookery. We will look for herons, egrets, and cormorants nesting in the rookery. Register through Meetup (May 15 Kayak St Croix Rookery).  

Meet at Boomside Marina, 9369 St. Croix Trai North, Stillwater.

-4th Monday May 22, Biking the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail, 9:45 am 

Join us for our first ride of the season on the Washington County Parks Hardwood Creek Trail. This is a flat 9.5 mile multi-use trail in northern Washington County through the cities of Forest Lake and Hugo. Register through Meetup (May 22 Biking the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail).  Meet at Forest Lake City Hall, 1408 Lake Street S., Forest Lake.

Activities we've enjoyed recently

--1st Tuesday Food Preservation April 4

Washington County Master Gardeners and certified Food Preservation Consultants presented a session on how to safely can using the water bath method. We had participants who were new to canning and others who have canned for over 30 years. Rules have changed over the years. We learned that canning books earlier than 1994 should NOT be used and to NOT use old canning lids. Lids now have an expiration date printed on them. The UMN Extension website has a wealth of information available on different methods of preserving food (https://extension.umn.edu/food-safety/preserving-and-preparing) including recorded webinars on YouTube (https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/home-food-preservation-courses).

Oakdale Wellness 50+ events

The Oakdale Wellness Movie Club will discuss the movie Hidden Figures on Tuesday, April 25, beginning at 1 pm at the Oakdale Library, 1010 Heron Ave. N., Oakdale.

The Wellness Book Club will discuss Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont by Robert Bilott on May 23, at 6:30 pm at the Oakdale Library.

Wednesday Walks start at 9 am beginning in April through November.  Meet at the Oakdale Discovery Center (4444 Hadley Ave. N., Oakdale) to walk the paths of the beautiful Oakdale Nature Preserve. 

The Wellness Book Club read 52 Ways to Walk by Annabel Streets. We are using some of her suggestions to enhance our walks. We walked backwards one week and stopped to hop in place another week. The book is highly recommended with 52 different ways to walk with references to the science on the health benefits.  

...

Age-Friendly Oakdale receives State grant to study local public transportation

Age-Friendly Oakdale* is an initiative of Oakdale Wellness 50+, with many of its members participating on the Age-Friendly Oakdale Task Force. Last year, the task force conducted a community assessment to learn what residents thought would make Oakdale an age-friendly community. The community assessment included both an online survey and a listening session open to the general public. 

The assessment highlighted a concern that Oakdale is a car-dependent community which may not serve all of its seniors well in the future. More forms of public transportation need to be investigated so that more people can take advantage of the parks, businesses, and services that Oakdale has to offer and to keep residents independent. 

Age-Friendly Oakdale is excited to announce that it will receive an Age-Friendly Community grant from the State of Minnesota to study how to improve public transportation in Oakdale and to hold community conversations and workshops on various transportation options. Work on the project is scheduled to begin in June and continue through the end of 2023.

*The Age-Friendly Communities initiative was developed by AARP. The common thread among the enrolled communities and states is the belief that the places where we live are more livable, and better able to support people of all ages, when local leaders commit to improving the quality of life for the very young, the very old, and everyone in between.

Getting the word out

These Oakdale Wellness 50+ representatives helped get the word out about the Wellness 50+ program during a Farmers Market in Oakdale in March.

Cottage Grove Wellness 50+ events

Starting April 18- Improv classes. 5:30-6:30 pm- The Grove United Methodist Church, 8600 90th Street S., Cottage Grove, MN.

Join us for a free weekly improv class brought to you by the wonderful folks at Locally Grown Theatre. This improvisational comedy class runs every Tuesday, April 18-May 16 with a live performance on May 23.

All classes will meet at The Grove United Methodist Church in Cottage Grove from 5:30-6:30 p.m. If you've never tried Improv before, give it a try. This class is open to adults ages 50+ and promises to deliver a lot of laughs.

Register today! Space is limited. (When you register for the class on April 18, you are registering for all of the Tuesday night classes through May 23.) 

Register online: 

April 19- Virtual- 5 pm, Alzheimer's signs to look for

Alzheimer's causes changes in memory, thinking, and behavior that are not normal aging. Join educators from the Alzheimer's Association and learn the difference between aging and Alzheimer's, common warning signs, the importance of early detection and benefits of diagnosis, and find out more about area resources. This is a virtual program. 

Register online here.

April 22 - Games at the Library from 9:30 am to noon, Park Grove Library, 900 Hemingway Ave S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016

Adults ages 50+ are invited to drop in for game day at Park Grove Library. Adults can play a quiet game of chess, interact in the wildly entertaining party game Apples to Apples, try out strategy games like Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne, or try their hand at card games, Scrabble, and Yahtzee.

Games will be played in the meeting room and all older adults are welcome. It's a great way to meet and engage with new people in the community.

This program is a partner program with the Cottage Grove Wellness 50+ group. No registration is required. 

Stillwater Wellness 50+ events

Live 2 B Healthy

Live 2 B Healthy, the Stillwater Public Library, Stillwater Wellness 50+, and several other organizations are cooperating to present a Balanced Wellness series the second Wednesday of each month from 1-2 pm at the Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd St. N., Stillwater. The Series started on April 12.

There is no cost to attend this series, and all are welcome.

The topic of the May 10 session is exercising with arthritis.

Some of the topics to be explored in later months include Exercising for Brain Health, Fall Prevention, and more.

(Click on the image of the flyer to the right to see a bigger version.)

Resources from other agencies

Online classes from the River Market Co-op

Curious about composting? Made a New Year's resolution to be a more efficient recycler? Wondering what "microgreens" are? Now you can register for a series of online classes offered by the River Market in Stillwater. There's no cost to attend. Register here: https://rivermarket.coop/classesevents/

AmeriCorps RSVP service and volunteer opportunities

Looking for a way to give back to your community? Check out AmerCorps RSVP volunteer programs. Learn more here.

From St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health

This month's Healthy Aging Digest from Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health contains information about classes in Powerful Tools for Caregivers, conferences related to breaking the cycle of white supremacy, caring for people with memory loss, and more. (Watch the lower part of your screen for a download of the document.)