Leadership is About Helping Others Achieve

Helping Children of Incarcerated Parents Thrive

Age4Action Network and Vital Aging Network Co-sponsor Idea Forum

ALVA Leadership Development 2010-2011

Why Provide Leadership Development for People 50+?

Volunteering Spotlight

Calendar of Events

Or click below to view individual articles:

Creativity: Nature or Nurture

Art of Aging Exhibit Explores Growing Old

From the Chair:Tap into Your Creativity and Reap Benefits

Volunteer Opportunities

Calendar of Events

Age4Action Network Idea Forum

Download the June 2010 e-Bulletin

Or click below to view individual articles:

Mental Illness and Older Adults

Major Depression and Seniors and Suicide

From the Chair: Helping Others is Good for You

Volunteer Opportunities

Calendar of Events

Unleashing the Potential of Older Volunteers
By Sam Schuth, MN State Office Director, Corporation for National and Community Service

Forming a Movement for Civic Engagement
By Mark Skeie, VAN Leadership Group Member and Former VAN Chair

Know Your Audience?
By Lucy Swift, Director, Partnership Development, Twin Cities Public Television

Calendar of Events

Volunteer Opportunities

VAN Forum(S)
Disability Awareness: Living an Active and Engaged Life 
Co-sponsored with the Courage Center    
 
VAN is offering this Forum on two different dates and locations.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at:
Courage Center*
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422 [map]

*Please note: Accessible parking will only be available at the Courage Center. All other parking is offered at Valley Community Presbyterian Church, 3100 N. Lilac Drive, Golden Valley. A free shuttle bus will take you to the Courage Center.
More information and Register for the free April 13th Forum
 
or
 
Thursday, April 15, 2010
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at:

Family Means
1875 Northwestern Ave. S.
Stillwater, MN 55082 [map]
More information and Register for the free April 15th Forum

A Generational Look at Disability
VAN Program Specialist, Emily Strand, examines the role that age plays in adjusting to a life with disability.

Never Give Up!
The Courage Center provides an inspiring story of a man, Denny, who is living an active and engaged life despite having a disability.

Safe Driving at Any Age
The ability to drive a vehicle as we age is a significant predictor of quality of life. Given that fact, it is important to learn what we can do to protect ourselves, other drivers, and pedestrians around us.

From the Chair
Working Together, Aging and Disability Groups Can Be a Powerful Force
Traditionally few connections, if any, have existed between younger adults who struggle with long-term disabilities and older adults who become disabled in late life.

2010 Health Care Choices Booklets are now available.
The Minnesota Board on Aging recently submitted a Communities for a Lifetime Report.

Calendar of Events

Volunteer Opportunities

This month's e-Bulletin is now available!
Here's what's in it!

VAN Forum
Gardening for Health and Common Good
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Think Garden. It's a Great Break from Winter!
Julie Weisenhorn, University of Minnesota Extension writes, "There's no doubt that eating better - fresh fruits and vegetables from a home garden - can boost your overall health and well-being."

Gardening Resources for 2010
With spring just around the corner, the following are some tips to get your garden off to a great start.

Community Supported Agriculture: Bringing Farm-Fresh Food Home
Jeanne Lakso, Linden Hills Co-op believes that, "If you don't have a green thumb, a sunny backyard, or the inclination to grow your own veggies, you can find many other ways to eat locally year round."

From the Chair
Growing and Nurturing the Vital Aging Network
Though VAN Chair, Nancy Eustis, is happy to think about gardening, she is more preoccupied with growing and nurturing the Vital Aging Network.

CSA Farms: More than Fresh Veggies
Peg Johnson, Treasured Haven Farms, CSAs provide an option for folks to know where and how their food is grown, and to receive a fresh box of lovingly produced, chemical free veggies weekly through the growing season.

The Future of Long-Term Care Forum has been RESCHEDULED.
The Future of Long-Term Care Forum has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March, 24, 2010 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM At Rondo Community Outreach Library.

Calendar of Events

Volunteer Opportunities

This month's e-Bulletin is now available.
Here's what's in it.

VAN Forum:
The Future of Long-Term Care: Finding Effective and Affordable Models
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

The CLASS Act: A Promising Approach for Long-Term Care
Kathryn Roberts, President and CEO of Ecumen writes, "Most of us are uninsured and unprepared to care for loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer's or who need long-term services and supports for other reasons."

Financing Long-Term Care
LaRhae Knatterud, MN Department of Human Services, believes that as the demographic shift occurs, providing long-term care for this large group of older people will become one of the state's most critical issues.

ALVA Project: A Guide for Life Planning
Peggy Gaard and Gail Skoglund, former ALVA students, believe that people can make meaningful and purposeful choices throughout their lives. They created Proactive to Stay Active: A Blueprint for Aging by Choice to make it easier for people to do so and to be sure that those around them support their choices.

Successful Aging in Place Takes Planning
Despite the savings that more use of community-based services provide, the future costs of long-term care still threaten to overwhelm states' budgets. Add your comments!

The Minnesota Gerontological Society is currently accepting applications for the Dutch Kastenbaum Award to recognize an outstanding gerontologist who has demonstrated his or her commitment to the field of aging through practice, research, or academics. Nominations are due February 15, 2010.

Calendar of Events

Volunteer Opportunities

Click on the article title to go to the link:
VAN Forum
Healthcare Reform in Minnesota: The Impact on Older Adults
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - Wilder Center Auditorium, St. Paul, MN
8:00 AM to 12:30 PM (8:00 AM - 9:00AM registration and continental breakfast; program begins at 9:00 AM)
Preregistration is required for this forum. Register early - the forum will sell out.
Fee (includes continental breakfast):
$20 - General admission
$10 - Retirees, encore career seekers

Making Sense of Healthcare Reform
Rapid growth in healthcare cost puts a strain on families as well as businesses and governments. More individuals are uninsured, especially the self employed and people working for small businesses, and employees' shares of premiums for insurance from employers have risen dramatically (119 percent since1999). Wages have grown much more slowly, causing many to find payment of these premiums difficult.

What Have you Done for your Health Lately?
While current national debate on healthcare reform focuses on universal healthcare, many believe that prevention and management of chronic disease warrants much greater attention.

From the Chair: Proposed Healthcare Reform and Medicine
The Vital Aging Network's new Chair, Nancy Eustis, Ph.D., offers her perspective on healthcare reform. She writes, " I am pleased and honored to be the new chair of the Vital Aging Network. In keeping with the theme of this bulletin, I will comment on a topic related to national healthcare reform. Add your comments!

Announcements
The Minnesota Gerontological Society is currently accepting applications for the Dutch Kastenbaum Award to recognize an outstanding gerontologist who has demonstrated his or her commitment to the field of aging through practice, research, or academics. Nominations are due February 15, 2010.

Civic Ventures has created a new guide to finding work that matters for those who are searching for a purpose-driven job at midlife.

Check out VAN's Calendar for upcoming events!

Learn about volunteer opportunities.

Click on the article title to go to a particular article.
VAN Forum: Creativity, Dance, and Storytelling: Staying Active, Vital, and Engaged Creativity
A Story: Miz Maybelle and the Devil
How to Tell a Story
Safeguarding Investments for Minnesota's Future
From the Chair: Ending a Productive Year

VAN Forum: Don Shelby on Project Energy Easy Energy Efficiency Saves ALVA Leadership Course Kick-Off