Being Mortal Film Explores End of Life Care

Thursday, October 27, 4-6 pm  Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, lower level classroom

You are invited to a free, community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal”. You will be part of a national dialog that asks “Have you and your family had the tough conversations and planned ahead?”

Being Mortal delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, as he shares stories from the families he encounters. When Dr. Gawande’s father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest.

After the screening, there will be a discussion of concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life. Dr. Sandy Stover, Pastor Kris Garey and Marnie Hovland, Care Partner’s Care Coordinator, will be on hand to guide the conversation. Being Mortal aired nationally on the PBS program Frontline and is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s nationally best selling book of the same name.

See this moving documentary, join the conversation, and explore what matters to you. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Kay Grindland at Care Partners, 387-3788 or carepartners@boreal.org

The free screening is made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America. It is sponsored by Care Partners, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and North Shore Health Care Foundation.

 

Dr. Atul Gawande
Dr. Atul Gawande

What Matters Most?

Here are five key steps to completing your Advance Care Plan. 

  1. Think About - Think about what matters most to you.
  2. Talk About - Talk about it with your family, friends and health care providers.
  3. Put it in Writing - Document your preferences in a legal form. Forms are available at the clinic.
  4. Share – Share your Advance Directive with your family, friends and health care providers. 
  5. Review - Review your documents at least annually. Planning Assistance

Contact Marnie Hovland, Nurse Care Coordinator at Care Partners at 387-3787 for help in completing your long term health care planning and Advance Directive.

 

New Senior Chore Program

New Senior Chore Program

Care Partner’s new chore service is off and running! Five volunteers have received a two hour training. They’ve helped clients with organizing, falls prevention, a few fix-it projects and cleaning. Kelly Holtzman, our Chore Coordinator, has also made several referrals for seniors needing regular help with chores.

Contact Kelly at 387-3788 if you are a senior needing help with some occasional chores so that you can stay safely in your home OR if you would like to be a volunteer. We’d also love to hear from any local folks who provide chore services (especially snow shovelers!) for referrals.

Thank you to Mardag Foundation, Cook County Community Fund and a Live Well at Home Grant from the MN Department of Human Services for funding to help start the Chore Program.

 

Care Partner Services

Care Coordination

Support to stay in your home, maintaining your health and quality of life, arrange help, and plan for care.

Volunteer Visits

Companionship, check-in, presence at end-of-life, and respite for caregivers.

Caregiver Coaching 

Help assess needs, reduce stress, and gather support to cope with a loved one’s illness.

Caregiver Programs 

Events & education to learn from caregivers, gain skills & find resources. 

Resource Coordination

Assistance finding resources that work for individual goals. 

Advanced Care Planning 

Coaching to complete a health care directive and communicate wishes to family. 

Senior Rides

Rides for those 60 + to Duluth for medical appointments & medical & wellness activities in Cook County. Call 387-3788 for more information.

Senior Chore Program

Trained volunteers assist with occasional chores to keep seniors safe in their homes.

 

Supporting Independence — Margaret Carlson’s Story

“It has worked out marvelously!” Ask Margaret Carlson, age 82, about her experience with Care Partners of Cook County’s Senior Rides Program and she’ll tell you again and again: “I can’t say enough how perfectly it has all worked out.”

Margaret, who lives in Croftville and lovingly cares for a community of chipmunks and other wildlife, has a strong sense of independence. But when she stopped driving, she missed the ability to get from here to there with ease.

Then Dr. Sandy Stover at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic told Margaret about Care Partners and its Senior Rides program. Senior Rides is available to those in Cook County ages 60 and over. Trained volunteers transport clients to medical and eye appointments in Duluth and medical, personal, and wellness appointments within Cook County.

“I’m very lucky to use Care Partners to get into town,” Margaret explains, “And Geri [a Care Partners volunteer] comes and gets me, drops me off, or sometimes she’ll wait with me. She’s always right on time. It’s just been great!”

Not only has Margaret found a new way to remain independent, but she’s made a friend as well. “Geri is a wonderful lady. What was so odd is that I had an article in the local paper, and she had always wanted to meet me. She was so tickled to find out that I’m the woman with the chipmunks!”

 

 

Tutu Trot Honors Mary McElevey

711359-eau-dance-tutu-trot-to-benefit-als-272d3After losing her grandmother to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in July 2015, EAU Dance Director, Emily Underwood was motivated to organize an event that would inspire people of all ages to raise awareness and funds for ALS, while promoting health and wellness within the community.

Emily (on right below) explains, “It’s an event I organized in East Grand Rapids, Michigan in memory of my Grandma Mary McElevey. She appreciated the care and compassion from your Care Partners program.”grandma-5x7

The family-friendly TUTU TROT captures Grandma Mary’s zest for life and her love of the lakeshore in a way that brings people and families together … in tutus.

 

Volunteer Opportunities

Care Partners Volunteers give back to the elders in our community in many ways.

  • Companion Volunteers provide friendly visits or presence at end of life. Trainings are held each spring and fall. The fall training will be Tuesdays, Sept 29, Oct 4, and 11 from 4:30 to 8 pm.
  • Senior Rides Volunteers give rides locally or to Duluth and are reimbursed for mileage. Trainings are ongoing.
  • Chore Volunteers help with occasional chores to keep seniors safe in their homes.
  • Care Partners Board Members provide leadership, fundraising and marketing support for Care Partners programs.

A training for both Senior Rides & Chore Volunteers will be held Tuesday, Oct 19 from 4-6 pm.

Call Care Partners at 387-3788 for more information.

 

Caregiver Coffee

These programs are held monthly in Grand Marais and Tofte. Join us to meet other caregivers, share resources and discuss caregiving. All are welcome. Call Care Partners for more information.

New Senior Rides Coordinator

Care Partners is pleased to welcome Martha Olson as our new Senior Rides Coordinator. She brings a wMartha Olsonarm and caring presence to the program and is enjoying learning the area and getting to know our clients and volunteers.

Many thanks to Debi LaMusga, our departing Senior Rides Coordinator. She did an amazing job of starting the Senior Rides program and building our volunteer core.

 

Ice Cream Social

Ice Cream Social 2016Care Partners of Cook County’s first ever Ice Cream Social at Sydney’s Frozen Custard was a great success and a lot of fun. Over a hundred friends of Care Partners came out to enjoy the delicious sundaes and celebrate the work of Care Partners. With the quilt raffle, sundaes, chair massages and silent auction, over $3000 was raised to support programs for those on the journey of aging, serious illness and end-of-life. Bonnie Schudy, Chik- Wauk Museum and Nature Center Director, won the beautiful quilt made by Carol Harris.

It was a time to appreciate the many lives touched over the last seven years—the caregiver support, the care coordination, over 5000 hours of volunteer companionship and 800 rides to help seniors maintain their health and independence.Volunteer

 

 

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Thank you to our sponsors, especially Sydney’s Frozen Custard for hosting and supporting the event, to volunteers and board members, to Red Pine Realty for tent space, Lutzen Reflections for chair massages, to our many silent auction donors and business sponsors.

Sydney’s Frozen Custard

Johnson’s Foods             

Lutsen Resort Company

Ruthanne Hedstrom Vos

Sivertson Gallery

Edwin E. Thoreson Inc.  

LutZen Reflections Massage

Blue Water Cafe              

Grand Marais Super America

Grand Marais Veterinary Clinic

Harbor House Grill

Joynes Ben Franklin       

Lake Superior Trading Post

Cameron Norman

Studio 61

Walker, Giroux, & Hahne LLC

WTIP

 

 

Light Up A Life

The 8th Annual “Light up a Life” offers community members the opportunity to celebrate the life of a loved one during the holiday season. Each donation lights one bulb in memory of one person on our memory tree, located downtown, next to Drury Lane Books. Their names will be listed in our ‘Memory Book’. Donation forms will be available on our web site.

light-up-a-life-2015-19The Tree Lighting Ceremony:

East Bay Suites’ Stone Throw Room

Thursday, December 1st at 6 pm.

The ceremony will include music by Jenny Delfs and Ann Russ.

Refreshments will be served.

The event is sponsored by Care Partners and supports end of life services in Cook County.

 

 

 

Care Partners has Moved

Our office is still in the lower level of the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic—just two doors down. The move gives us much needed space for our growing programs and private space to meet with clients.

 

Your Donations Matter!

Care Partners depends on community support to provide its services.

Please consider making a tax deductible donation, memorial, celebration gift or bequest to Care Partners of Cook County.

Receive your newsletter on line

Help us save paper and postage. Email us at carepartners@boreal.org with your name and email and we’ll send notice of our newsletters to read on-line.