Retirement
The Twin Cities and its suburbs are home to more than 100 retirement communities and nursing homes, many of which are located on scenic lakefronts or surrounded by parklike grounds. This chapter covers just a few of the residences senior citizens have to choose from in the greater Twin Cities metro area and is in no way meant to be all-inclusive. For more information about nursing homes, contact the Minnesota Department of Health (651-201-5000; www.health.state.mn.us), Care Providers of Minnesota (952-854-2844; www.careproviders.org), the Minnesota Health and Housing Alliance (651-645-4545; www.mhha.com), or the AARP (866-554-5381; www.aarp.org/states/mn).
Senior citizens are a vital force in the Twin Cities, as evidenced in many successful political campaigns that have run primarily on senior concerns and issues. This is in no small part because of the Twin Cities being home to some of the most dynamic senior rights advocacy groups, including the Gray Panthers, the AARP, the Minnesota Senior Federation, and many of the other lesser-known organizations that are listed in this chapter.
1. Bethany Covenant Village
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 781-2691
Address: 2309 Hayes St. NE
Description: Located in northeastern Minneapolis, Bethany Covenant Village is a 16-room Christian facility that provides care to senior citizens who need assistance in their day-to-day living. Their supportive and sensitive staff provides assistance with such activities as dressing, bathing, medication management, and anything else that may be needed to help residents retain their independence. A licensed nurse supervises medical management; rehabilitation services include physical, occupational, speech, and intravenous therapy.Studios and one-bedroom apartments are furnished and decorated by the residents. Each unit has a private bathroom, carpeting, drapes, individual climate control, master TV antenna, telephone outlets, and an emergency call system.
2. Brookdale Senior Living
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Address: 17 locations across Minnesota
Description: Brookdale Senior Living offers assisted living to older adults who want to retain their independence while receiving the personal services they need. The communities emphasize freestanding residences specifically designed for individuals with memory impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease. Residents live in their own private apartments, complete with kitchens and private bathrooms, receiving individual care and personal assistance in a cheerful, homelike atmosphere. This allows residents to enjoy privacy yet still have access to a full-time professional staff that caters to their personal needs.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Address: 12600 Marion Lane West
4. Carelink
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (952) 854-2844
Description: CARELINK is an interactive resource to connect families with long-term care facilities throughout Minnesota. Up-to-the-minute information gives caregivers current resources to better define individual plans of care for senior citizens.
5. Elderhostel
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (800) 454-5768
Description: Elderhostel is dedicated to providing learning adventures for people age 55 and older. About 3,000 programs are offered in sites around the world, including some in Minnesota. Elderhostel’s learning vacations provide opportunities for older adults to take noncredit courses in many subjects—history, culture, food and wine, the outdoors, and more—while enjoying extracurricular activities with others who share similar interests. This is learning just for the pleasure of learning. Visit Elderhostel’s Web site or call them to be put on Elderhostel’s mailing lists.
6. Twin Cities Gray Panthers
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 822-1011
Address: 3255 Hennepin Ave. South
Description: The long-established Gray Panthers have worked on local, state, and national levels to fight ageism, press for legislation that promotes age equality, and to advocate social justice issues of concern to seniors such as health care and family security. Call to find out about what’s going on in your local network.
7. Handyworks
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 721-8687
Description: HandyWorks provides assistance to older adults and people with disabilities with household chores and minor home repairs to help people continue to live independently in their own homes. For some, HandyWorks is a solution to a temporary situation—an illness or recovery from an injury. For others, HandyWorks becomes an essential service to help them to remain in their homes by providing assistance with such things as routine cleaning, yard work, and snow removal.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Address: 13100 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 400
9. Metropolitan Area Agency On Aging Inc.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (651) 641-8612
Address: 2365 North McKnight Rd., Suite 3
Description: This state-designated agency advocates and educates on issues of aging, as well as plans, coordinates, and offers services that help older adults remain in their homes. This is a great resource that offers a range of help or links to help for a range of things: teaching seniors how to use the Internet, home-delivered meals, senior employment, and in-home assistance and care to counseling, prescription, and community service hotlines.
10. The Minnesota Relay Service
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (800) 627-3529 (both TTY or Vo
Description: The Minnesota Relay Service connects those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or speech impaired to hearing people via the telephone, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Either party can initiate the call. One service is CapTel, where specially trained operators type the telephone users’ verbal responses, relaying conversations to the CapTel user almost simultaneously with the spoken word. All calls are confidential.
11. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 624-7847
Address: 200 Oak St. SE
Description: OLLI is a voluntary, noncredit education and service program for older adults. It is an affiliated program of University College at the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. The organization offers courses, luncheon programs, informal summer programs, educational tours, service opportunities, and special events. Courses are offered for an eight-week session each fall and spring and a six-week session each winter that meet weekly for one-and-a-half- to two-hour sessions. Courses focus on a wide range of interests—literature, psychology, world cultures, history, politics, economics, science, wellness, and the arts.
12. Outfront Minnesota
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 822-0127 or (800) 800-03
Address: 310 East 38th St., Suite 204
Description: Visit Outfront Minnesota’s Web site for information on resources for older gays and lesbians for yourself, family, or friends. Information available includes several social groups, family and individual support, medical and mental health, housing, employment (volunteer, stipended, and paid), job search help, and many other services.
13. Recovery Inc.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 824-5773
Description: Recovery Inc. organizes and sponsors free self-help groups throughout the Twin Cities to help people regain and maintain mental health when dealing with mood and personality disorders such as depression, anger, frustration, fear, and anxiety.
14. Rsvp
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (612) 617-7830
Address: 2021 East Hennepin Ave., Suite 200
Description: The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program invites persons 55 and older to make volunteering a part of their lives. RSVP provides free assistance in locating volunteer opportunities, along with supplemental insurance and limited reimbursement of travel expenses. Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the eleven counties.
15. Senior Community Services
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (952) 541-1019
Address: 10709 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 111,
Description: Senior Community Services provides in-home counseling and case management to frail seniors and their families throughout suburban Hennepin County to help older adults remain independent as long as possible. Its services include transportation, homemaking, medical care, and assistance with health insurance. The staff meets with seniors in their own homes to identify and connect with the combination of services that will fit their specific needs.