May 14, 2020 Supporting a Balanced and Well-Connected Life Through Active Aging Hello Fridley Seniors!
Today is Thursday, May 14, and the senior center is still currently set to reopen on June 30. If anything changes regarding the re-open date, we will notify you.
Highlights of the newsletter this week include information on COVID-19 testing sites, continuation of the free mask give-away, online courses and "Coffee with the Coordinator."
We will also be sending out a paper newsletter to home addresses soon. If you or someone you know would like to receive that newsletter, please email me at Maggie.Chandler@fridley.k12.mn.us or leave a voicemail at 763-502-5150 with a name and address of the person wishing to receive it.
Take good care,
Fridley Senior Program Coordinator What if I Feel Sick?
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you can and should get tested. Clicking the button below will take you to the state site where you can look up your nearest testing site by city.
MASKS AVAILABLE (Free)!
In an effort to keep the community safe, a few of our senior volunteers have been making cloth masks for hospital workers and other essential workers. Durable cloth masks are now available to seniors through the Fridley Senior Program! We want to make sure our seniors are safe and that we're all protecting each other as well. More mask wearers mean less risk! (Please only 1 per senior as we currently have a limited amount. Thank you!)
We will begin delivering these to homes next week following social-distancing guidelines. We will contact you prior to delivery.
How to obtain a free mask for seniors:
Thank you very much to to all the volunteer mask-makers and to Mary Hannah for organizing! Announcements
Tax Updates
Information on Property Taxes:
Resources for Seniors
Online Courses: Defensive Driving Refresher (two options available) -Course #6202A Wednesday, May 27 -Course #6202B Tuesday, June 23 9am-1pm Online $24 Instructor: MN Safety Council
Description: Now you can renew your 10% three year car insurance discount by taking this state-approved four hour refresher course. There's no driving and no test. Please include your driver license number when registering. Senior discount already applied. Hear for the Health of It! Course # 6400 Thursday, June 4 3-4:30pm Online Free: Sponsored by MN DHS Instructor: Mary Bauer, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist
Description: This interactive Hear for the Health of It! PowerPoint presentation will address the consequences of untreated hearing loss in older adults. Attendees will learn how to get an accurate diagnosis of hearing loss; explore no & low cost apps and devices; discover helpful communication strategies; and MUCH more!
MN DHS Deaf and Hard of Hearing Website
Final Checklist Course #6304 Thursday, May 21 6-8pm Online $25 Instructor: Paula Johns
Description: Does your spouse/partner and family know enough about you to settle your estate if something tragic were to happen to you? Discover the host of documents and important information that should be gathered ahead of time to make it easier for your survivors. Grocery and Prescription Delivery » Pickup Services Order online, select date and pickup time, park at the store and they'll bring it out to you. You will need to create an account and use a credit card for payment. Typically, no additional fees for the pickup services.
*Make sure you have the correct store selected and pay close attention to the time slot for pickup » Metro Mobility Grocery and Goods Delivery
Certified Metro Mobility customers can now order groceries and household essentials online from a store that has online shopping and local pick up. Metro Mobility will pick your order up and deliver to your house. The service is free! If you have any further questions about the service, please contact Metro Mobility Service Center: Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call: 651-602-1111 TTY: 651-221-9886 Email: metromobility@metc.state.mn.us » Fare For All Fare for All has decided to open with a drive through model at a few locations.
» YMCA Food Distribution The YMCA is partnering with Loaves & Fishes and UnitedHealth Group to serve free healthy meals to community members. Pickup is from Noon to 1pm, Monday through Friday at local YMCA's. Click the link below to find the one closest to your home. It says "families", but we have verified that everyone is welcome.
» NorthStar Neighbor Northstar Neighbor exists to spread a message of hope and compassion by serving our neighbors who are at higher risk of COVID-19 complications. We make one-on-one connections between a healthy volunteer who has low COVID-19 risk factors with a senior or other high-risk person in the same community for remote companionship, conversation and help with delivery of groceries or prescriptions. If you are interested in participating in this program, you can email NorthStarNeighbor@gmail.com or call 612-430-8899, or you can visit the Northstar Neighbor website by clicking the button below. » Help at Your Door Help at your door is a non-profit which provides grocery assistance and essential medical transportation to seniors. Once registered, it typically takes between 2-5 business days for your first delivery. The cost for delivery is $15 plus the cost of groceries, though there is sliding feel for individuals over 60 who meet income qualifications. To sign up for services, call 651-642-1892 or email at information@helpatyourdoor.org. » Southern Anoka County (SACA) Food Shelf
» Prescription Delivery
Many pharmacies and insurance companies have options to deliver your prescriptions. If you're not sure if your pharmacy or insurance has a delivery option, you can call them to find out. If you get your prescriptions at Target, this is a CVS pharmacy - see below link. Cub Pharmacy does not officially deliver, but has, on occasion, made exceptions.
*For information on ensuring your have access to your medications during the pandemic, click here.
If You Must Leave the House
» Wear a face covering
» Special Store Hours for Seniors
• Sam's Club: Tuesday and Thursday, 7am-9am. Option for concierge service where an associate gathers your items for you - call ahead for more information.
• TIP: Regardless of the store, if you must go out, go as early as you can - most are restocked over night and less busy in the mornings. Try to stay at least 6 feet away from others, when possible. • New Hours: Bob's Produce (7am-7pm); Mike's Discount Foods (10am-8pm)
Prepared Meal Options: » Lunch to Go - Parkview Villa Highrise » Meals on Wheels Coffee with the Coordinator Every Tuesday and Thursday, there will be an opportunity to join a call with the Senior Program Coordinator Maggie to chat, ask a question or catch up with whomever else shows up!
As people enter the video/phone chat, it becomes like a multi-caller "party line" – if you use video option on your computer, you will be able to see other callers on video. If you call in using the phone, you can announce yourself and listen for who else is there. When you first join, it's like knocking on my door - I'll let you in, and then we can talk!
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays (Starting Thursday, May 21) 10am-11am (drop in anytime in this window) How: 1. With Video: You can click the button below to enter the waiting room for the video chat. If the button doesn't work, you can copy and paste this link in your browser window: https://meet.google.com/vkj-qzha-prk 2. Call only: Call this number from your touch tone phone: 1-516-888-9940. When it asks for a PIN, enter 526961128 and then the # key
Senior Program Coordinator and Social Workers available to help!
» Senior Center The Community Center is not open, but we are still working (from home)! We are happy to help in whatever ways that we can. If you call the Senior Center at 763-502-5150, please leave a message. You can also leave a message for Alaina (Community Ed Social Worker) at 763-502-5121.
Currently, we have no way to answer our phones, but we are checking voicemail and calling people back. Please leave your name and number and we'll call you!
» ACCAP Our Senior Outreach Worker from ACCAP is still available over the phone or by email to help connect you to a resource or help you fill out applications.. You can call Angela at 763-783-4741 or email at asable@accap.org
Health Tips » COVID-19 Symptoms • Some people experience a sore throat as the initial symptom
It's a good idea to try to find your base temperature (what is normal for you) by taking your temperature a few times when you do not yet feel symptoms. » Exercise
There are several online options for daily exercise!
• Yoga with our beloved instructor, Michael Ledman on Facebook Live. Tuesday and Thursday at Noon are the 45 minute gentle classes. Feel free to call the Senior Center for help accessing the Facebook page and how to pay. $6/session
• Senior Fitness! This is a ForeverWell workout offered by the YMCA. Click the link and get going!
• Silver Sneakers features over 200 workout videos online which are free for adults over 65 who participate in Medicare Plans! » Telemedicine
Some of you have already been asked to have your doctor visit move online or over the phone during this time to prevent unnecessary exposure to the virus. The National Council on Aging has put together some tips on making your telemedicine visits as beneficial as possible. You can read those tips here. » More Resources
For more exercise resources and information on the importance of hand washing and caring for our mental health, please see the April 14th Newsletter on the Fridley Senior Program website. United Way Help/Crisis Line - 211
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a crisis, calling 211 from your phone will connect you with someone who direct you to appropriate help for your need.
If you are experiencing a medical or safety emergency, please dial 911. Just for Fun!
» Live Music from Hennepin Theatre Trust Since 2017, the Street Show program has brought hundreds of hours of street performance to Nicollet and Hennepin avenues each year. Since we can't be on the street, they are bringing it to us live over lunchtime in May and June! You can also watch the recorded performances later on. » Free Musical Viewing! » Join - One Book One Minnesota
» Games Connecting Online
Need Help Learning Video Technology? Join us on Facebook! New to Facebook? For instructions on how to create a Facebook account, click on the purple button and I'll show you how! Email Updates
We will be sending these updates weekly by email until the senior center re-opens. Then, we will return to the the monthly newsletter format. If you've already received this via email, you will continue to get the email updates.
If you did not receive this newsletter in your inbox, please join the mailing list! Click the button below to subscribe. (You must click Register New User on the bottom and fill in your information) Fridley Senior Program Fridley Community Center, 6085 7th Street NE, Fridley |