Southeast News, December 2008
Seniors at home - comfortable, connected, empowered, safe. That has been the vision of Southeast Seniors, A Living at Home Block Nurse Program for over 20 years. With your help, we have made it possible for hundreds of our neighbors 65 and older to remain in their homes.
Each year we help to keep approximately 25 seniors out of nursing homes and provide services for almost 300 seniors. We do this by providing in-home Nursing and Home Health Aide services. We help coordinate other services such as a ride to the doctor, home repair and lawn care, light housekeeping, and meals-on-wheels. We provide friendly visitors, health and home safety advice, and, in partnership with nearby schools, there are opportunities for joyous intergenerational events — a positive experience for both the seniors and the children.
We all know how health care costs have been increasing. This hits our seniors hard. At Southeast Seniors, we bill Medicare and other insurance for medical services. But, insurance does not cover all the services seniors need to stay at home. This is where you can help your neighbors. Your contributions allow Southeast Seniors to fill in the gaps. With your assistance, we can subsidize care for seniors with our sliding fee scale and keep them safely in their homes.
This year, Anna shares with you her story of how Southeast Seniors has helped her:
Anna immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine in 1950. She is 87 years old and started receiving services from Southeast Seniors in 2002. Her first need was for a volunteer who would be able to help her hem a few pairs of pants. As time went on, her needs grew and Anna now receives nursing services once a week and has a visiting volunteer who usually visits her once or twice a week. She enjoys outings with her volunteer and also just sitting and visiting.
Anna also receives help from our Service Coordinator with reading her mail, arranging for Lifeline, setting up Store to Door for delivery of her groceries, and assistance with paying her bills.
She is very grateful for the services she receives. She has been hospitalized several times and has managed to return to her home that she loves. Every time she is visited by someone from Southeast Seniors, she thanks us and says, “I don’t know what I would do without you. You are a lifesaver!”
Your help is needed. Please give generously so that our block nurses, staff and volunteers can continue to assist our seniors to be comfortable, connected, empowered and safe in their homes.
Other ways of contributing include memorials, honoring a birthday or anniversary, gifts of stock, and including a bequest to Southeast Seniors in your will.
For information on making a donation, please call Southeast Seniors at 612-331-2302. Thank you.
20th Anniversary Celebration
Southeast Seniors held its 20th Anniversary Celebration on September 11, 2008. Over 70 people gathered at Hope Lutheran to celebrate 20 years of service to seniors in the Southeast community and to recognize the many people who help make our program successful.Special recognition was given to our founders who were present:Evelyn Czaia, Bruce Graff, Kay Jones, Jere Purple, Gene Taylor, Laura Weinberger.
We thanked the many volunteers who make such a difference in the lives of seniors and the other agencies we collaborate with in providing services for seniors in Southeast.
SES Board of Directors
The board approved the nominations of Susan Anderson, Jane Burnham, Carmen Gunther, Vicki Speidel and Betts Zerby to the board.We thanked our outgoing board member Joanne Cyr.The Board also recognized and thanked outgoing Board President, Wanda Alexander.At the October board meeting, the board elected new officers:Tom Weist, Chair; Jane Hanger Seeley, Vice-Chair; Dick Poppele, Treasurer; and Anne Hibbard, Secretary.Thank you to ALL of our board members for their service to Southeast Seniors and community.
They are Judy Anderson, Susan Anderson, Jane Burnham, Bob Distad, Jim Drake, Carol Feldheim, Greta and Tony Garmers, Carmen Gunther, Sally Godfrey, Charlotte Herman, Anne Hibbard, Ardes Johnson, Walter Johnson, Bob Kriel, Wendy Looman, Mary Anne Page, Terrie Peterson, Dick Poppele, Jere Purple, Leona Reyelts, Sally Sawyer, Lois Schardin, Jane Hanger Seeley, Steve Sorensen, Vicki Speidel, Tom Weist and Betts
Zerby.
SES Receives Grants
Southeast Seniors is very fortunate to have received grants from the following organizations for our 2008-09 fiscal year:* City of Minneapolis CDBG
* Hennepin County
* State of Minnesota DHS
* Consumer Association for Community Action
* Hennepin County in partnership with the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board through a Community POWER (Partners on Waste Education and Reduction) Grant.We are also very thankful to Tom Sengupta at Schneider Drug who dedicated the funds raised from his recognition dinner at Prospect Park United Methodist Church to Southeast Seniors. The community gathered to thank Tom for his many years of service to the residents of Southeast Minneapolis. Tom has always been a great resource for the nursing staff of Southeast Seniors.
Eliminate 39 Pounds
Every year each person gets an estimated 39 pounds worth of third class mail. An average household receives up to 100 pounds — it’s time to get rid of that extra weight by reducing your junk mail! Here are a few resources for you to contact to try to get rid of your junk mail:
* Direct Marketing Association: www.dmachoice.org
* Credit Offers: www.optoutprescreen.com - or call 1-888-567-8688
* Catalog Mailers: www.catalogchoice.org
* Sweepstakes Mailers:
– Publishers Clearinghouse: 800-476-4724
– Readers Digest: 800-310-6261To receive a more detailed brochure, please call Southeast Seniors at 612-331-2302.
Alice’s Wonder Spray
Here is a handy inexpensive spray to use when cleaning:1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp. borax
3 1/2 cups hot water
20 drops lemon or other essential oil
1/4 cup liquid dish soap
In a 32 oz. spray bottle, mix the vinegar, borax and
water thoroughly. Add essential oil, if desired. Add
dish soap last.
Identify Hazardous Products
These days it seems like every product comes with a warning, so you may not pay much attention to the words on the label. However, when it comes to hazardous products, reading the label is the easiest way to identify one.First look for these signal words:
Caution, Warning, Danger or Poison.
Federal law requires labeling of hazardous products by using these signal
words.
* “Caution” means a mild to moderate hazard.
* “Warning” means a moderate hazard.
* A product labeled “Danger” is more toxic. Danger means the product is extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic.
* “Poison” means the product is highly toxic, meaning it is harmful or potentially fatal if swallowed.
Hennepin County offers two drop-off facilities for residents to properly dispose of household hazardous wastes for no charge. These facilities, in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington, are open year round.
For more information, call 612-348-3777.
Volunteers give from the heart!
You can make a difference in someone’s life. Check out some of the volunteer opportunities with Southeast Seniors:
• Friendly visitors to visit seniors in need of companionship.
• Shoppers to shop for groceries and other essential items for seniors.
• Home chore helpers to help seniors with leaf raking, snow shoveling, and other chores around their homes.For information on becoming a volunteer, call 612-331-2302
Volunteer Opportunities Keep Minnesotans Right Side Up!
Minnesota’s death rate from falls is almost twice the national average and is
increasing. Falls are the number one cause of trauma deaths, non-fatal major trauma and other trauma care in Minnesota.The majority of these cases are among older Minnesotans. Women age 50 and older are more likely than men to fall.
The Minnesota Falls Prevention website (www.mnfallsprevention.org) is a first step to increase awareness and provide simple suggestions for older adults to reduce falls. The easy to navigate website offers useful information for both professionals and family members.
If you do not have access to a computer, please call Southeast Seniors, 612-331-2302, for more information on falls prevention.
What is Southeast Seniors?
Many seniors prefer to live in their own homes. Southeast Seniors is a non-profit organization of health care professionals and neighbors who help people 65 and older remain independent and safe at home. Our service area is Como, Marcy Holmes and Prospect Park.We provide nursing services: care after hospitalization, care in chronic illness, management of medications, care of feet and nails, nutritional advice, blood pressure checks; and home health aide services: bathing, shampooing, skin care, changing bed linens, meal preparation, light housework, and laundry. We work with Medicare and all insurance companies in providing these services. We also have a sliding fee scale available.Other services provided: visiting volunteers; connecting seniors with services such as Lifeline, Vision Loss Resources, Meals on Wheels and support for hearing loss; and offer help meeting needs for chore services and transportation.We also sponsor intergenerational activities and health seminars in the community. There are no fees for volunteer services or service coordination.Call us if you, a relative or a friend would like more information, 612-331-2302.
Upcoming Classes at Pratt
Classes are offered at Pratt Community School. Please call 612-668-1100 to register.
Preservation of Our Memory
It’s never too early or too late or preserve our memory. Learn about the various forms of memory loss and what you can do right now to preserve your memory. Instructor: Nancy Faacks, RN with Abbott Northwestern. Co-sponsored by Southeast Seniors, A Living at Home Block Nurse Program and Pratt Community Education.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 — 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Long Term Care Options
If you or a loved one are no longer able to live at home due to poor health or other issues, would you know what your options would be? This presentation offers information about the different options available. Instructor: Linda Walker, Outreach Social Worker with Volunteers of America—Minnesota.
Wednesday, February 4, 2008 — 10:00 t0 11:00 a.m.
MISSION
Southeast Seniors is a neighborhood helping neighbor program that utilizes volunteers and professional staff to help seniors remain safely in their homes with an enhanced quality of life.