By Kathryn LeBrasseur, Alexandria, MN
In October 2020 I devoted this article to Age Friendly Alexandria. Since the terminology was new to most of us, I gave a lot of space to the history of this title and how it was awarded as an honor from WHO and AARP to our city. Now the title of Age Friendly is used by many organizations and efforts to make areas friendly to people of all ages is a common program.
When we received that title back in 2014, Alexandria was the 75th City in the nation and one of two in Minnesota to be so honored. We were definitely the only one in a rural area. It all started locally with a donation to the Alexandria Senior Center to help it find out the needs of the elderly population. From the results of a survey done throughout the 56308-area code a local group of service providers was created. It was headed up by Dian Lopez, who still serves in that leadership role. A qualification for the honor was to continue to work on improving life in this area and this first group mainly targeted the elderly population.
Currently the state is seeking that distinction. Proudly, Lopez serves on that board representing the rural areas while helping us become Age Friendly Minnesota. AARP also has a program nationwide to develop Age Friendly Communities. The Area Agency on Aging for nine counties also has an active program called Age Friendly Communities.
Areas defined as the “Eight Domains of Livability” for all ages are: outdoor spaces and public places, housing, respect and social inclusion, communications and information, transportation, social participation, work and civic engagement, community and health services. Alexandria has done very well in these areas and for several years has been designated the best place in Minnesota to retire to.
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A few years ago, the Alexandria group had to develop a three-year plan of emphasis for improvement. They selected health care and transportation. Representatives of local nonprofit groups and governmental agencies worked together to improve the delivery and availability of services in these areas. Then the requirement to continue in the Age Friendly status was the creation of a five-year plan. Immediately the addition of mental health care was identified as a separate part of health care. Efforts continued. The group hasn't said the eight domains have all been met but generally it is agreed that almost all needed services are available in our area. We just have to make people aware of them. That's more difficult that it sounds.
So, Dian Lopez strengthened the local endeavors by having a new eight-member board elected. It's committed to having a new name! They are working to develop one at this time. To many in the rural areas, Age Friendly Alexandria indicates that services are available only to those in Alexandria so they don't participate even in simple programs such as food drops. This is a concern because most of the services of nonprofits and government agencies service the entire county and many serve a Region of other rural counties.
Another goal is to promote services by the type of service needed rather than promoting a listing of agencies. This would enable one to locate all services that offer home repairs, in home health care, all forms of transportation available, mental health programs by type of need etc. Douglas County has just appointed a new coordinator of senior services, Darina Dykema, who works in the area of the Veterans Office and the library. Most of the other counties have similar positions.
As the goal of Age Friendly Communities spreads, grants have also become available to help with issues such as day care, wellness programs, diversity issues. In our rural area no one should go hungry or be without help in remaining in their homes. The services are there! We have to be aggressive in letting our residents learn about what is here!
We are fortunate in that area as well. We have area-wide media that's also committed to making the quality of life outstanding in their areas of communication. They do it without the political bias of the major metro networks. Be it via radio or newspaper/printed flyers, they help us work together! Many residents of all ages are dependent on our local media for the news and communication. They're not computer literate or do not have access to it. We need to work closely together.
I am so proud to have been a part of this Age Friendly network for eight years. I am committed to helping everyone of any age become aware of special needs and the help available. And I am especially proud of living in an area that unlike the rest of our country has its emphasis on working together. Age Friendly doesn’t care what your political party is. It just cares about YOU!
Kathryn LeBrasseur is a former executive director of the Alexandria Senior Center and has been involved in a variety of community organizations, many focusing on senior issues. “In the Know” is a rotating column written by community leaders from the Douglas County area.
