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www.monticellotimes.com Page 4 MyGeneration • Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019 Maple Grove: Helping live healthy, active lives By ALICIA MILLER [email protected] Residents aged 55 and older in Maple Grove have a new resource at their fi n- gertips. Age-Friendly Maple Grove has created a website to help those older adults stay active, safe and healthy. The term age-friendly means the city is a place where residents of all ages can live healthy, active lives, and also age well at the same time. According to Age-Friendly Maple Grove, a quarter of the city’s popula- tion is 55 or older, up from about 11% in 2000. BECOMING AN AGE-FRIENDLY CITY Kris Orluck, Co-Chair Age-Friendly Maple Grove Leadership Group, said the decision to become an Age-Friendly City started because of one individual stepping forward, Goytree Hakim. “She asked that Maple Grove consider the opportunity,” Orluck said of Ha- kim. The city manager at the time, Al Mad- sen, pulled in the Senior Center Coor- dinator Orluck to assist Hakim into looking at the options. Together, Hakim and Orluck formed a working group to explore ways to make the city a Lifetime Community or Age-Friendly Commu- nity. “The committee evaluated differ- ent frameworks and with input from the city, determined to enter the Age- Friendly Network through The World Health Organization/AARP,” Orluck said. “In 2016, the mayor, along with the City Council made the request to WHO/AARP, and a Leadership Team currently leads the work for the city.” The Age-Friendly framework looks at eight different domains, and evaluates the city on those domains. Orluck said, through an assessment, The city of Maple Grove has become an Age-Friendly City, meaning the city is place where residents of all ages can live healthy, active lives, and also age well at the same time. Age-Friendly Maple Grove has created a website to help those older adults stay active, safe and healthy. Age-Friendly Maple Grove looked at housing, transportation, communica- tions, social participation, civic partici- pation and employment, engagement, open spaces and buildings, community and health services, and respect and so- cial inclusion. “The Leadership Group has created a 3-year action plan that we are follow- ing to meet some of the identifi ed areas needing improvement,” she said of how the group can help the city. NEW WEBSITE INFORMATION So just how can it help a resident who is 55 or older? How about younger resi- The new Age-Friendly Maple Grove website provides residents with different types of resources, which include ways to save active. FREE CONSULTATION! Call or Stop in Now. Expires 12-31-19 dents? “We believe that the work of Age- Friendly Maple Grove will make im- provements that will help everyone, not only older adults,” Orluck said. “When improvements are made or informa- tion shared on transportation concerns, sidewalk safety, community resources, housing concerns, etc., we are helping those 55+, but also families with kids, caregivers, and many Maple Grove resi- dents.” The new website provides a collection of programs, services, events and other resources that aid residents with things they may need. There is a category on transportation, which provides links to city transporta- tion services, Metro Transit and biking and walking trails within Maple Grove. Another category deals with types of housing for those 55 and older. There is a list of senior housing in the city, along with home-based care services, hospice, home modifi cation services and moving services to name a few. The category of health and wellness focuses on providing information about programs and services that promote overall well-being for the mind and body. Topics include physical movement and activity, dementia and caregiver support, and general medical. A community assistance category pro- vides a guide to various programs and services in and around Maple Grove that may be useful to older residents. These include food and nutrition ser- vices, grocery and food delivery, safety services and more. People may also look at the civic and social involvement section, which pro- vides residents with volunteer oppor- tunities and information on ways to get involved in the community and with the Maple Grove government. Age-Friendly Maple Grove is looking at ways the city and businesses can cre- ate a physical environment safe for resi- dents to enjoy and navigate. Lastly, the website has a link to the city’s 55 Forward program. The pro- gram offers a variety of events, classes and trip for those that are older than 55 years old. TO LEARN MORE To learn more about Age-Friendly Maple Grove visit the website, age- friendlymaplegrove.org. Here people can see the full assessment and the three-year action plan. Community members and other inter- ested stakeholders can attend monthly Leadership Team meetings, join a sub- committee (such as Housing, Transpor- tation, Social Participation, etc.), or vol- unteer in another way. Send an email to [email protected]. People can also share feedback and ideas by calling 763-494-6524. The things we value most in life require investment, dedication, & loyalty. Secure your future... today! We work towards creating youthful and beautiful smiles for patients whose natural teeth require replacement. Southside Dental Center 201 Sandberg Road Monticello MN 763.225.1274 www.monticellotimes.com ElkRiver.bank 763-241-3637