A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Caregivers and their loved ones enjoy learning to do the hula dance at Hawaiian theme day at Memory Café in Carlton. It's fun and gives people some chair exercise, said Jill Hatfield, executive director of Volunteer Services of Carlton County, which runs the Memory Café for people living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers, along with several other helpful programs out of the Carlton Wellness Center.
New grant money will help Volunteer Services of Carlton County continue and hopefully grow many of the services it already provides. The local non-profit will receive $494,000 over two years from the state's Live Well at Home grants, plus a $250,000 dementia grant from the Minnesota Board on Aging ... but more volunteers are also needed.
Volunteer Services of Carlton County, Inc. (VSCCI) provides and coordinates an array of services, using volunteers and resources to meet the needs of local residents "who find life difficult because of age, disability or life circumstances."
The group's Memory Café is one example. Held every Wednesday for people living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers, the free program provides a hot meal, good company and different activities for the group. Sometimes they go on field trips - to a restaurant, the movies, even a recent tour of the Duluth Aquarium - or just gather at the Carlton Wellness Center.
"It's basically a way for caregivers to get to know each other and socialize with their loved ones," said Jill Hatfield, executive director of VSCC. "It is a safe space for them."
Hatfield said the Premiere Theatres in Cloquet will reserve a movie theater for the Memory Café group, so it doesn't disrupt other theatergoers if someone talks during a movie, for example.
"It's technically considered a support group, but we're just seeing some great relationships developing between the caregivers," Hatfield said, adding that the group attracts about 36 people each week, from Carlton County and Duluth.
VSCCI programs also include the following: volunteer driver, groceries to go, chore services and a daybreak respite program on Mondays and Thursdays. Hatfield described it as similar to an adult daycare, where people can drop off a loved one who can't be alone for up to four hours, so the caregiver gets a break. Advance registration is required.
"That's not just for people with Alzheimer's diagnosis, it's anyone who shouldn't stay home alone," Hatfield said.
They also offer caregiver counseling, which could range from social worker assistance on researching options or tapping into local resources, like Meals on Wheels, or just general counseling on how to handle the demands of caregiving.
Classes for better health and chronic disease self management for people over 60 are offered through the Wellness Center, which includes a fitness center, community room and the offices for Volunteer Services of Carlton County.
"The classes have been growing and growing - we've had to add more sections," Hatfield said. Classes range from fitness, like chair exercises or weight lifting to learning how to crochet.
The VSCCI grants are part of a $6 million statewide effort to help keep people in their homes. Most people prefer staying in their homes and research shows when they're able to stay longer they are happier and have better health outcomes compared to people entering institutionalized care like nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
"These grants support what most people want," said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. "It's a cost-effective investment in their health and happiness."
Volunteer shortage
All of the Volunteer Services of Carlton County programs are powered by volunteers, which are in diminishing supply.
The volunteer driver program used to have 60 drivers "who would drive almost every day" before Covid, but now they're down to fewer than 10, Hatfield said. As volunteers, the drivers don't get paid, but they are reimbursed for mileage at the federal rate.
They need volunteers to help serve or chaperone at the Memory Café, grocery shoppers (who fill a client's shopping list and deliver groceries on Thursdays) and people who would be willing to help with the chore program, which is struggling.
"We used to use Sentence to Serve for our snow removal; they would take 50 clients on a list and just go do it, but that program isn't operating anymore so we're not doing snow removal," Hatfield said. "We do have some youth in the summer for lawn care and churches that do lawn stuff in the fall. But it's really hard to find high schoolers that will do stuff like that anymore. Folks are even having a hard time hiring people."
"Living at home provides people with identity, comfort, and community," said Governor Walz. "These grants are helping older adults maintain their independence and significantly improve quality of life for Minnesotans as they age."
To volunteer or find out more about Volunteer Services of Carlton County, call 218-879-9238 or email [email protected]. Visit vscci.com for the basics or get the latest updates on Facebook @vscci.
Want a first-hand point of view? Watch the new "Inside Senior Living" television series on PBS North, which features eight couples (four served by VSCCI) as they go through the challenges of aging in rural Minnesota. Episode 1 "Jean and Gary" was set to premiere Thursday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. It can also be streamed on the PBS app.
