Wabasha County Senior Connections

09/02/2026

This month’s AARP article highlights simple ways caregivers can help keep people with dementia engaged and connected.

From meaningful activities to familiar routines, small moments can make a big difference in supporting quality of life for older adults and their families.

Read more from AARP:
https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/keeping-people-with-dementia-engaged/

Preserving familiar routines and introducing new activities can support cognition and preserve independence

07/02/2026

Wabasha-Kellogg Age-Friendly Collaborative has been awarded an AARP Community Challenge grant!

This funding will help bring HomeFit assessments, education, and referrals into routine home visits with partners including Three Rivers Community Action, Wabasha County Public Health, and Wabasha Ambulance. The goal is simple: help older adults stay safe, confident, and independent at home.

The collaborative applied for the AARP Community Challenge Capacity-Building Microgrant in March 2026 and was awarded $2,500 in June. Those funds will go toward essential safety tools like night-lights, nonslip strips, task lighting, flashlights, door alarms, reachers, car-door assist handles, grab bars, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

If you live in the Wabasha-Kellogg area and would like more information about a HomeFit assessment or the W-K Age-Friendly Collaborative, contact Jodi Johnson with Wabasha County Public Health at 651-565-5200.

06/25/2026

Did you hear or see the exciting news? Wabasha-Kellogg Age Friendly Committee was selected for the 2026 AARP Community Challenge Microgrant to perform home safety assessments! Check out the press release and watch for something in our local newspaper in the next few weeks.

167 project grants in support of quick-action livability projects

06/03/2026

This month’s AARP article highlights the important role home health aides can play in supporting older adults and their families.
From helping with daily activities to providing companionship and peace of mind, home health aides can be a valuable part of a care plan for aging loved ones.

Read more from AARP:
https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/home-health-aides/?src=psn

What to look for and how to hire someone to care for family at home

05/27/2026

Improve Your Strength and Balance!
Join A Matter of Balance, an evidence-based program to help reduce fall risks and increase activity.

📍 Faith Lutheran Church, Wabasha
🕐 1:00–3:00 PM
📅 Tuesdays and Thursdays in July

Learn how to improve strength, balance, and confidence while making your home safer.

Registration required.
Call Dana Bergner at 507-421-6067 to reserve your spot.

05/08/2026

This month’s AARP article highlights an important topic for healthy aging: the impact of too much sitting.
Staying active doesn’t have to mean intense exercise — even small movements throughout the day can make a big difference for overall health, mobility, and brain wellness.

Read more from AARP:
https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/caregiving-sedentary-adults/

Encourage activity through social time, simple routines and shared outings

04/09/2026

Check this out. Our friends at Elder Network are putting on a Dementia Friends Info Session.

Please call our office at 507-285-5272 or email Pa Cha at [email protected] to register for our upcoming Dementia Friends Info Session in Kasson. This event will be held on Thursday, April 30th, from 1-2pm at the Kasson Public Library. We look forward to having you join us for this opportunity to learn more about dementia, living with dementia, breaks the myths/stereotypes surrounding dementia, and much more!