Vital Living News
November 2019 

Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month!

November is the month we take time to honor and celebrate family caregivers and all of the instrumental contributions they make throughout the year and throughout the life span. Whether you're caring for an older adult, a child, or both, your work touches so many lives! Thank you!
 
This month we also celebrate East Side's new caregiver respite program, NE Day Spot. NE Day Spot is a place where caregivers in the community are given the chance to take a break while the older adult they are caring for spends the day with staff, volunteers, and other care receivers in East Side's Community Room and adjacent spaces. Participants enjoy activities, social engagement, exercise and meeting new friends. 
 
To learn more about this program and/or how you can participate, please contact the Vital Living team. Happy National Family Caregivers Month! 
 
The Vital Living Team
VitalLiving@esns.org
612-787-4086                 
 
Vital Living is supported in part by a Live Well at Home grant from the MN Department of Human Services. 
In This  Vital Living Newsletter...
Caregiving Support : Gain Emotional and Practical Support
Classes: Maintain your Well-being
Engagement: Connect through Volunteering
Events: Lifelong Learning
Resources : To ols for Staying Independent

VLEvents
Vital Living Events
Healthy Connections: Flu Shots , Health Screenings, Medicare Info and More!
Wednesday, November 6, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Join us and our partners* and prepare for the season ahead. 
Presentations 
9:00-9:45 | What's New with Medicare?Presenter: Lukus Zuker
10:00-10:45 |  How to Plan Ahead: Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives
Presenter: Attorney  Betsy Parrell
11:00-11:45 | Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance
Presenter: Carmel San Juan
Resources
9:00-12:00 -- Flu Shots, Blood pressure checks, nutrition information, and more!
Bring insurance card for flu shot.
* Thank you to our partners: Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid

Reimagining Aging Book Club
Pierre Bottineau Library, 55 Broadway St NE
Saturday, November 9 | 9:00-10:30 AM
Join our discussion of engaging and enlightening books about aging and what it means to live a vital life today. We will reframe the idea of aging as opportunity -- the responsibility to reach out to other generations, share wisdom, and learn new ways of living in the world -- how we can 
grow up and grow old together. 
In collaboration with Pierre Bottineau Library.  This month's book:   " Women Rowing North
by Mary Pipher
To participate and/or learn more, call 612-787-4086 or email VitalLiving@esns.org
Grief, Loss & Compassion
Presented by Lindsey Pelletier, RN, CHPN (CEUs available )
Thursday, December 5, 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Open to community members and professionals! 
1 CEU available at no cost for social workers and RNs!
  • Learn how to manage grief
  • Create resiliency that promotes the ability to provide compassionate care to others while also caring for yourself
  • Learn current research about how and why we grieve as well as effective coping mechanisms 
Program:
7:45 AM: Networking and refreshments
8:00-9:00 AM: Presentation
9:00-9:30 AM: Take a tour and learn more about East Side
*Thank you to our partner, Our Lady of Peace Community Hospice 
RSVP: VitalLiving@esns.org or 612-787-4086

Vital Fitness
Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 AM
Drop by for East Side's Vital Fitness group! The group meets weekly in East Side's gymnasium for a variety of exercises that improve balance, strength, and coordination. First time participants are always welcome! There is no cost to participate. Contact Carmel with questions at 612-787-4086. 

Nutritious Lunch 
Monday - Friday, 11:30 AM-12:00 PM
Join friends for a warm, nutritious meal in our bright, welcoming community room, hosted by Volunteers of America. For older adults 60+, the suggested donation per meal is $4.00. Please make your reservation three days in advance by calling Dawn at 612-787-4093.
Engagement
Vital Living Engagement
Northeast Child Development Center Volunteer
Be a part of the new STEAM Team at East Side! 
We are excited to announce a new collaboration between East Side's Northeast Child Development Center and its Vital Living program. STEAM Team members are part of an intergenerational project in which volunteers from the Vital Living program will spend time with the preschoolers and engage with them in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) activities. 

What does STEAM look like to preschoolers? It is the joy of learning - observing nature, singing songs about numbers, asking questions, building with blocks or telling a funny story. Volunteers come in as their schedule allows for 30-45 minutes to our bright and newly remodeled learning center to share art, music, storytelling or science activities and  experiences. 

"When younger and older connect, the intergenerational relationships built are a route to success early in life and a key to happiness and well-being in our later years." Excerpt from Marc Freedman's book  How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations

If you or someone you know would like to join the STEAM Team at East Side, please contact Jennifer Grilliot, at jgrilliot@esns.org or 612-787-4104. 
Vital Living Volunteer
Position: NE Day Spot Friend 
Be the reason why someone looks forward to Fridays!
Time will fly while you are having fun as a friendly respite volunteer.
Spend your day engaged in a wide variety of activities with participants. Training for this position is provided with a fo cus on working with people experiencing memory loss. Shifts are from 9 AM-Noon and N oon-3 PM on Fridays. We ask that volunteers commit to 2-4 shifts a month so they become a familiar face to participants. Don't hesitate to be this special person that makes a tremendous difference in the lives of people with a chronic condition and their care partners.

Caregiving
Vital Living Caregiving
NE Day Spot
Every Friday, 10 AM-2 PM
Looking for a safe, engaging and fun place for the person you're caring for so you can take a break and get some respite?
At NE Day Spot, people with early to moderate memory loss and other health conditions  make new friends,   exercise their bodies and   engage their minds.  Pre-assessment required to determine eligibility.  Sliding fee scale, $0-$45 per day
To learn more and schedule a pre-assessment, call 612-787-4045 .
Caregiver Support Group
Friday, November 15 ( 3rd Friday of the month)
10:00 AM-11:30 AM
Join us to get ideas for what to do in difficult situations, learn from other caregivers, and be in a room with people who can identify with challenges and rewards of being a caregiver.  No RSVP needed. Questions? contact us at 612-787-4045
Classes
Vital Living Classes
Tai Ji Quan: Moving For Better Balance 
Mondays & Thursdays 
Through December 16
10:00-11:00 AM
This Tai Ji class reduces risk of falls by improving balance, muscle strength, flexibility, and mobility through mindful movements in a slow, flowing motion. The class meets twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays for 12-weeks. 
To register for Vital Living classes, call 612-787-4086 or email VitalLiving@esns.org. Classes are held at East Side Neighborhood Services (1700 Second St NE, Mpls. 55413) unless otherwise noted. The cost of these classes is based on ability to pay.

Evidence-based health and wellness workshops/classes are 
sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Agency of Aging (MAAA) in the seven county metro area.  East Side is a community partner   in MAAA's Juniper initiative. yourjuniper.org  
Resources
Resources for Vital Living
Work  Readiness 
Training for People 55+
East Side's Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides work readiness training for people 55+ years old.  Participants are placed into training sites to develop new job skills. SCSEP's goal is for older adults to feel confident enough with their new job skills to find un subsidized  work. Contact Katey for more information 612-787-4015, KWade@esns.org
Accessible Transportation
East Side Neighborhood Services provides assisted transportation to older people living in North, Northeast, Southeast Minneapolis and St. Anthony. 
Type of trips: Doctor, hairdresser, bank, pharmacy, nursing home visits, 
errands, senior dining and shopping. We are also available for grou p outings.
Cost: We use a sliding fee
Available: Monday through Friday, 8am - 4pm
Call: Reservation line 612-787-4012
Living At Home Network
Living At Home Network
The Living At Home Network is a  resource center that supports the non-profit, community-owned Living at Home/Block Nurse Programs that help Minnesota's elders stay healthy, safe and independent while living in their own homes. Services include: 
1) helping seniors maintain good health through exercise programs, in-home health assessments, nursing care, etc.
2) caregiver support
3) transportation for health related appointments
4) chore assistance
To find a program near you: visit  http://lahnetwork.org/program-locator/
Hennepin County Library's "At Home Service"
Are you a Hennepin Country resident who is unable to visit the library due to illness, disability or visual impairment? At Home Service is a resource you should know about! How it works:

Library materials and services are delivered in person by a volunteer or sent through the U.S. Mail at no charge to you with return postage included. At Home Service provides you with access to a wide range of materials and services from Hennepin County Library, such as: Large and regular print books, Books on CD, DVDs, Music CDs, Magazines, Newspaper articles, Information from the internet. To begin At Home Service, request materials or ask questions, call: 612-543-8850 available Mon-Fri 10-5 (except holidays).
Nutritious Meals Delivered
Eastside Meals on Wheels delivers meals to homebound persons living in NE and SE Minneapolis, and St. Anthony Village.  Contact Eastside M eals on Wheels at 612-277-2529 or via email at info@eastsidemeals.org to register.
East Side Neighborhood Services
612-781-6011 
1700 Second Street NE,  Minneapolis, MN 55413