Care Partners News Fall 2020

Honored to Support Those on the Journey of Aging

With all the cultural emphasis on youth and independence, some people shrink from terms like senior, elder, old, aging, end-of-life. Yet, these are rich and sacred times in a persons life. At Care Partners, staff and volunteers are honored to support those who have lived long, and have so much experience and perspective to share. We offer these services to keep our older friends safe and connected in their homes and our community.

Chores, Delivery, Errands & Rides

Trained Volunteers help with
- outdoor chores like work & shoveling.
- delivering groceries, mail & other necessities.
- rides for medical trips locally & to Duluth

Companionship/Phone Calls

Trained companion volunteers offer a friendly connection & check-in through telephone calls.

Health Care Planning & Coordination

Care Partners nurse helps with
- completing health care directives
- maintaining health & quality of life
- planning care & finding help
- Death Doulas assist people in the dying process.

Caregiver Support

Our trained Caregiver Consultant helps assess needs, reduce stress, and gather support to cope with a loved one’s illness.

Help with Resources

Care Partners staff are happy to connect you with programs & services in the community or on-line.

Call 387-3788
www.carepartnersofcookcounty.org
carepartners@boreal.org

COVID Precautions

Care Partners is working to protect our clients and volunteers with limited visits, rides, and careful infection controls. Telephone and delivery support are increased. We look forward to when we can safely return to offering in-person visits, gatherings and rides for wellness & social trips.

Aging Resources at www.carepartnersofcookcounty.org

Find resources for planning, support, learning, connection & around COVID. Or we can share these on the phone. Highlights:

A Local Aging Services Directory
COVID Community Support Line at 218-877-7071 (A listening ear & connection to resources if you are feeling worried, isolated or overwhelmed.)
Lighthouse Center for Vision Loss: loans computers & tablets to help seniors connect.

Caring Neighbor Award

Celebrating Those Who Help our Elders Stay Safe & Connected

Do you know someone who provides important help to a local elder (you or someone you know)? Nominate them for our Caring Neighbor Award. Fill in the form below or on our web site or call us at 387-3788. The winner, selected at random from the nominees, will receive a gift certificate. We will share some of the stories on local media. Thank you helping to honor and encourage our caring neighbors!

Caring Neighbors Nominee ___________________________________________

Their phone or email___________________________________________________
(will only be used to notify Caring Neighbor of nomination or award.)

How they helped out _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Your Name ___________________________________________________________

Your phone/email ____________________________________________________

Your address __________________________________________________________

For an online nomination form, click here.

Care Partners Volunteers
Get Involved and Make a Difference!

Volunteers are the heart of Care Partners and there is something for everyone, in all parts of the county—give a ride, rake a lawn, make a friendly call, drop off some groceries, join someone for a walk, offer compassionate presence, or help with our Memory Café.

Contact Christie at 387-3788 or chore@boreal.org for more information on volunteering.

Opportunities

Senior Rides Volunteers give rides locally or to Duluth and are reimbursed for mileage. Extra precautions are in place for rides to medical appointments during COVID.
Delivery Volunteers drop off groceries, pick-up mail & other essentials.
Chore Volunteers help with occasional chores to keep seniors safe in their homes. Currently, we are not doing chores inside the home.
Companion Volunteers provide friendly visits, check-in, or presence at end of life.
Telephone Companions provide a much needed connection during social distancing

Volunteering During Covid

We appreciate how our volunteers have adapted—some pulling back to be safe, others stepping forward, some switching the assistance to deliveries or much needed phone calls of connection.

We asked one of our drivers, John Wolf, how giving rides during Covid has changed his experience. Besides the time it takes to disinfect, he misses connecting as well with clients. “Instead of feeling like you are taking your friend for a ride and getting to know them, you are both wearing masks and they sit in the back seat, so visiting isn’t as easy. But everyone is cooperative and understanding and looks forward to more relaxed times.”

As our volunteer Jean puts it, “Everyone is navigating the risks individually. If we can reduce our risk, it’s not just for ourselves but to contribute to the community.”

Volunteer Interview

An Interview with Jean

For Jean it began with Covid and the call for volunteers to help fill grocery orders. After weeks of helping at Johnsons Foods, there was another call for volunteers to help people place those orders. That led her to Care Partners, and a need for delivery volunteers. We matched Jean with “Susan”, who between the risk of Covid and road construction, was not comfortable driving into town. It’s a good connection. Jean contacts Susan once a week to learn her needs—for groceries and other supplies or mail and banking errands.

Jean finds the one-or-two hours a week perfect for her schedule. She enjoys problem-solving to get what Susan needs and the helpfulness of some of our small town stores. “I like to feel that I’m helping. In a way I’m paying it backwards and forwards. There but for a few years, go I. And I’d have given anything for my sister to have had something like Care Partners when she was living with brain cancer.” The experience taught her that only a small amount of help can sometimes allow someone to keep living alone at home, but in many communities it is hard to arrange.

Companion Volunteer Trainings

All trainings this fall are held via Zoom. Sign up for Session 1, 2, or all 3 based on your goals.

1. Telephone Companion Volunteer Training
Wednesday, October 14, 1-3 pm

Get connected with Care Partners and review communication skills, elder awareness, and confidentiality so that you can befriend an elder and provide reassurance over the phone.

2. Dementia Friends Training
Thursday, October 22, 1-3 pm

While this is part of our companion training, anyone can join to learn about living with dementia, how to connect, and find simple things you can do to support someone living with the disease.

3. Companion Volunteer Completion
Wednesday, October 28, 1-3 pm

Sessions 1 & 2 are pre-requisites for this session to complete Companion training for future in-person work. The training includes safety, comfort measures, end-of-life, spirituality and empathy.

Call 387-3788 for more information or to register.

Caregiver Coffee

Do you provide care for a parent, spouse or friend? Join other caregivers to discuss caregiving and share resources. Any one is welcome. We meet 2nd Fridays at 10 am on Zoom. Call 387-3788 to get connected.

Aging Well Lunch and Learn
November 19 from 11:30 – 1pm

in partnership with Cook County Higher Education

This free online class introduces a life-changing approach to making the most of longevity through learning and practice. Each class participant will receive materials designed to create a unique path for aging well. Visit https://mycche.org/ to sign up.

Aging Mastery Program: This Lunch & Learn is also a great introduction to a 10-week Aging Mastery Class that Care Partners will be offering online this winter. Check our website for more information later this fall!

Death Café

Cook County's End of Life Doulas host Death Cafés about once a month via Zoom where people are invited to express their thoughts, dreams, questions and concerns about death and dying. The next Death Café will be held Thursday, September 24 at 6 pm. Find updated information at our website.

Dementia Friends
Thursday, October 22, 1-3 pm

Learn about living with dementia, how to connect, and find simple things you can do to support someone living with the disease.

Light Up a Life

The 12th Annual "Light up a Life” offers a way to celebrate the life of a loved one during the holiday season. Each $5 donation lights one bulb in memory of a person on our memory tree in front of the Johnson Heritage Post. Their names will be listed on our website. Donation forms will be available on our web site, www.carepartnersofcookcounty.org, at the post office and in the local paper.

Candle Lighting Ceremony, Dec. 10, 5 pm

We are working on an online gathering to share some moments of music, reflection and honoring of our loved ones. Our hosts will light candles as we share. Check our website or contact us to find out how to connect online or by phone

Quilt Raffle

This year's raffle quilt is on display at Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais! The stunning quilt by Carol Harris is an adaptation of "Monterey Medallion" by Atkinson Design. It measures 87" x 100”. Raffle tickets are $5 each and available from Drury Lane Books, or by mail. The drawing will be held November 5th.

To order tickets by mail, include a check made out to Care Partners and sent to PO Box 282, Grand Marais, 55604. Make sure to tell us how many tickets you'd like. We'll mail your ticket stub(s) to you. If you have any questions, feel to call us at 218-387-3788 or email us at carepartners@boreal.org. A BIG thank you to Carol Harris for this beautiful work of art!