Elder Awareness Fair held in Brooks

The Elder Awareness Fair drew many people to the Brooks Community Center on June 15th.  The day started with coffee, rolls, socializing, and the chance to look at informational booths. One of the informational booths was RSVP. RSVP is Retired and Senior Volunteer Program which help make a difference for generations. RSVP Signature Programs are Sail Away with Bone Builders, Handyman Program, Groceries-to-Go Program, and Reading Buddies. Another booth that was at the fair was Inter-County Community Council. Some of the programs that Inter-County offers are Energy Assistance, Energy Related Repair Program, Crisis, Weatherization, Family Service Program, Head Start, Employment and Training Programs, and MNsure Outreach and Enrollment. 

The first presentation was by Julie Praska Moser who talked about Dementia. Julia Moser is from Hillcrest Senior Living in Red Lake Falls.  Moser talked about the neurons in the brain, how the neurons form pathways and the pathways make the memories. There are different types of dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementias, Lewy Body Dementia, Fronto-Temporal Lobe Dementia’s, and many others.  Some of the side effects that should be watched for that were talked about were memory loss, disorientation of time, language problem, decreased concentration, changes in personality, and difficulty in performing tasks. 

Jordan Cote was there from Garden Valley Telephone Company talking about home surveillance, there are cameras available to watch someone with dementia. Cote mentioned there is also a home sitter that watches/monitors home temps, flooding, etc. Garden Valley offers a SentryPal which is a mobile personal emergency response system. Some of the features it has is 36 hours of battery life, status indicators, alert notification, GPS, SOS call, and two-way voice. You can get the SentryPal for only $34.95 a month. Another emergency system that Garden Valley offers is the CaretakerSentry.  Some of its features are basic waterproof pendant that dials emergency response center and has a range up to 600’, base station dials and provides voice communication with emergency response center, SOS call on base station or pendant, caretaker button on base used to dial an additional emergency contact, and battery back-up for up to 24 hours in the event of a power outage. The CaretakerSentry is available for $19.95 a month. 

Kristi Nelson had informed everyone about vulnerable adults.  Kristi Nelson is a Director of Social Services. 1 in 10 adults becomes a victim of abuse.  Abuse could be said as neglect or financial abuse. The abuse could be by family members, spouses, caregiver, etc.  Red Lake County has more than average number of vulnerable adults in the state. Nelson said to watch for signs that a person is a vulnerable adults such as; changes in thinking and behavior, lack of food, shelter, healthcare, poor grooming, and shut off from activities, unpaid bills, etc. Violence Intervention also works for senior’s not just young women and children. Besides neglect and financial abuse by other people there is also self-neglect. Nelson talked about how people have the right to make bad decisions and Social Services cannot go into homes unless there is proof of cognitive ability dysfunction.  

Deanna Swenson from Lutheran Social Services was at the fair to talk about MAGIC, which stands for Minnesota Association Guardian and Conservatorship.  Swenson talked about the legal process to oversee the care of a person. Most cases come from referral from families, courts, or lawyers.  The care of a person can be short term or long term. Sometimes there can be conflict with family members if there were a medical emergency.  Family is usually the first choice before a legal guardian that is put in place. A Judge would determine what would need to happen if needed. 

There was also a presentation on Senior Linkage Line by Danica Robson.  Senior Linkage Line is a toll free number to call if someone is looking for changes in their life like how do I ride the bus, moving to assisted living, change in their drug plan, etc. Robson also commented on how it is cheaper and better for people to stay in their own homes because people are happier in their own homes. If they did need assistance with things Social Services could help with home care, meal, etc. The different programs to help seniors with things like meals, there are many places that would help seniors get meals, LSS, Meals on Wheels, Congregate, and there was Diner’s Club first in Brooks Third Base. There is a booklet too that goes through the steps of planning ahead for the end of a person life that would help the family. 

After the presentations there was a free lunch. BINGO was played after lunch. 

By Marie Johnson & Bonny Cote