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2019 Summit

Age-Friendly Minnesota – Engaging

All Voices and Communities

Thank you to our sponsors

Welcome

Amanda Vickstrom

Chair

MN Leadership Council on Aging

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Age-Friendly Minnesota

Kari Benson

Executive Director

MN Board on Aging

Age-Friendly Minnesota Designation

Governor Tim Walz

Engaging Community in Becoming Great for People of

All Ages

Laura Poskin

Director

Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

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Engaging Communities to Include All Ages

Laura Poskin, MPSGDirector of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

Close your eyes.

This is about us.

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Photo: Briana E. Heard

It’s about making our world more inclusive and

respectful of every generation.

Photo: Bike Pittsburgh

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Our job is to change howwe view aging and how

we plan our communities for it.

Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65.

Source: Pew Research Center

Super-aged society

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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Super-aged society

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017

In Minnesota, 65+ population surpasses

school-age population in 2020.

Source: Minnesota State Demographic Center

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New demographic reality

Language matters

Source: AMA Manual of Style

Source: Psychology & Aging, 2011

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Source: Oxford Economics, 2013

We are all aging.

Photo: Bike Pittsburgh

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Photos: Larry Rippel

Our assets

Our challengesOur innovative ideas

AccessConnectionInnovation

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Lively Pittsburgh | Photo: John Columbo

Photo: Scott Schubert

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Source: Cigna, 2018 | Photo: Grace Wong

AARP Pennsylvania | Photo: Jeff Swensen

Listen. Listen again.

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Build on strengths.

Celebrate your story.

Thank you!

Laura Poskin, MPSG@lauraposkin

swppa.org/agefriendly@AgeFriendlyPGH

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Age-Friendly Minnesota State Leaders Panel

Aging Together Minnesota: Confronting Disparities in Systems & Communities

Panel

Action Planning

Breakout Sessions

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How One Community is Embracing Age-Friendly

Communities

Susan Pha

Council Member

City of Brooklyn Park

Brooklyn Park:

Living & Aging

Together, Differently

Susan Pha

Brooklyn Park City Council

Leadership Council on Aging Summit | December 11, 2019

Image: frimages/Getty Images

Presentation Overview

• Introduction: Who am I, and why does this work

matter to me?

• Brooklyn Park: Who Are We?

• Cities’ Role in Age-Friendly Work

• BP’s Engagement: What We Did and What We

Learned

• Examples of Our Work

• Closing

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Who is BP?

• NW Hennepin County

• 6th biggest city in MN

(80,610 pop.)

• 49% White

(“Majority minority”)

• 21.5% aged 55+

f

20172000

Brooklyn Park’s increasing diversity: 2000 to 2017

Asian: 17%

White: 49%

White: 71%

Asian: 9%

Hispanic/Latinx: 3%Other: 2%

Black: 27%

Black 14%

Hispanic/Latinx: 6 %

Other 0.6%

Population by Race:

Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County, State of MN

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

White Black or African-

American

Asian Hispanic/Latinx Other

Brooklyn Park Hennepin County State of MN

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000, 2017

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Our context for age-friendly work

Racial, ethnic and cultural diversity

Economic diversity and disparity

Varied experiences, needs, and priorities

Fragmented landscape

“Cities are ground zero

for the demographic shift

that is changing America

and the world.

Too many local leaders still

overlook the connection

between aging policies and

their cities’ vitality and

sustainability.

Cities can take the lead to

integrate older adults into

policies and planning across

multiple domains.”

“Age-friendly must be

defined not as a new

program or a new trend

in service delivery but as

a fundamental

rethinking of how we live

together.”

-Kathryn Lawler, “Go Big or Go Home,” Public Policy Aging Report, 2015

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BP’s timeline: quick overview

Aligns with other City strategic initiatives:

• BP 2025 (community planning

process)

• Customer Service Initiative

• Continuous Improvement

• Racial Equity

• 2015: Task Force on Aging created & made recommendations

• 2018: Conducted extensive community needs assessment;

developed recommendations report

• 2019: Look inside local government: What does age-friendly

mean for each department?

• 2020: Building community involvement

•Residents

•Key Stakeholders

•Community Partners

External Engagement

• Key Staff

• Department Heads/Managers

• Commissions

Internal Engagement

RecommendationsReport

Brooklyn Park’s Age-Friendly Engagement Process

Gathering Community Input

RESIDENTS:

• CAC class participants

• Community Assembly

attendees

• Meals on Wheels volunteer

drivers

• Immigrant/refugee focus

groups: Lao, Liberian, SE

Asian

• Dynamic Aging Resource

Fair attendees

• Focus groups at senior

housing: Brooks Landing,

SummerCrest, Tradition

• Allina Health – Faith Nurse

Program

• CAC Fitness Instructors

• Community Ed (Osseo &

Anoka-Hennepin)

• CEAP

• Creekside Gables

• Hennepin County Dept. of

Public Health

• Hennepin County Library

• Hennepin Health

• Hy-Vee

• Lao Assistance Center of

MN

• Liberian Health Initiative

• NAMI

• North Hennepin

Community College

• Saint Al’s Church

• Saint Therese at Oxbow

Lakes

• Sierra Leone Nurses

Association of MN

• Tradition (senior housing)

• The Waterford (senior

housing)

External (Community) Engagement:

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS

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Key Takeaways:Commons lessons from older low-income

residents and residents of color, including

immigrants and refugees

• General disconnect or lack of interest

in City programs/offerings

• Most comfortable within their own

cultural groups.

• Language matters. A lot.

• Immigrants & refugees can be

vulnerable due to language and lack

of understanding about systems and

rights

Recommendations:

How does the City respond?

• Allow staff additional time to develop relationships and

meaningfully engage people

• Don’t create; facilitate. Support existing events/activities.

• Better support and utilize partner organizations

• Redefine what success looks like

A new lens,

not just new services

Put an age-friendly lens on work that

would be done anyway.

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City Hall remodeling project: How do we make sure it works well for older visitors?

• ADA isn’t enough.

• How easily can people actually…

– Enter/exit the building?

– Complete their business in the building?

– Get the assistance they might need?

• Consider seating: Where is it? Is it easy to sit down in and

get up from?

$26 mill. park bond referendum: How do we make sure it works well for older residents?

• Trails get better signage, lighting, and seating

• Community Activity Center remodeled with

Universal Design principles

• Neighborhood park redevelopments: make

appealing to older residents

Examples of BP’s support of

older residents

• Senior homeowner loan program for home

modifications ($150K for 2020)

• Providing space to Sierra Leone Nurses

Association to meet with elders

• A beloved Community Center with many

classes for 55+

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• “Seniors” aren’t one monolithic group.

• Older adults help drive local economies.

• People want to give and have purpose. Create

pathways to make that possible.

• Age-friendly improvements benefit all ages.

• Aging is universal. This is all of us.

Understandings that must

shape the work

Thank you!

Susan Pha, Brooklyn Park City Council

Susan.Pha@BrooklynPark.org | 763-315-8496

Moving towards Age-Friendly Minnesota & the work of the

Council

Rajean Moone

MNLCOA Executive Director

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Putting it Together

Age-Friendly

MN

Age-Friendly Health

Systems

Dementia Friendly

Communities

Purposeful community

engagement

Age-Friendly Universities

MNLCOA’s Pledge1. Create an Age-Friendly MN listserv to

keep the momentum going and connect us all

2. Establish foundation for an Age-Friendly MN application including results from today’s summit

3. Designate the 2020 Summit as MovingAge-Friendly MN Forward Together

4. Support Age-Friendly MN systems and policy changes

Stay InvolvedJoin the Age-Friendly MN

listserv

Show up to convenings and events to support Age-

Friendly MN

Advocate for your community to become an Age-Friendly Community

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mnlcoa.orgRajean Moone, Executive Director

651-235-0346rajean@mnlcoa.org

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