VAN Forum
Bloomington Community VAN Forum
September 17, 2008
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presenters:
Mark Skeie, VAN Leadership Group Chair
Tom Hyder, VAN Coordinator
Local Leaders
Bloomington Civic Plaza
1800 W. Old Shakopee Road
Bloomington, MN
FORUM NOTES
On Wednesday, September 17, 2008 the Vital Aging Network hosted its first Vital Aging/Vital Communities Forum in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Forum began with a welcome from the Mayor of Bloomington and was followed by presentations about VAN and VAN’s Vital Communities Toolkit. Next, a panel of people leading local aging initiatives in their communities discussed the benefits, barriers, best practices, and next steps in building vital communities. The forum concluded with an opportunity for people join small groups to network and discuss vital communities. Seventy-one people attended the Forum, and the responses below reflect what these attendees perceive as the benefits, barriers, best practices, and next steps needed to create vital communities.
1. Why is it important, i.e. what are the benefits, for communities to be looking at their “vital aging readiness?’
- Tomorrow will be on us sooner than expected.
- Burden will be greater if not acted upon today.
- Communication, connection, caring, creativity.
- Be prepared for people who want to age in place.
- Because things take time to develop so we should start now.
- To help people be willing to accept change.
- Why do it? Because we want to stay in place.
- To save money in the long-term.
- To help plan well for the future; proactive not reactive.
- Biggest issues: Transportation, housing (assisted living at modest prices, nursing for people aging in place).
- Magnet persons of leadership. Power of magnet cannot be totally held back from aloneness to community oneness.
- Harvest synergistic energy of vital community health providers.
- Be proactive versus reactive.
- Collaborate.
- Don’t re-invent.
- Plan.
2. What barriers do you think exist to developing a vital aging community?
- How people define community.
- Making information available and communicating its availability.
- Bringing groups together who need to be working together.
- Transportation.
- Conflicting Issues.
- Schools.
- Funding Demands.
- How can you adapt your home so you can stay?
- Not enough workers to assist the elderly.
- Inertia: People don’t want to do the work that’s needed.
- Unwillingness of older folks to accept help.
- Isolation of older people.
- Failure to educate, motivate, and activate benefits of awareness to all vital aging health needs, priorities, expectations, and perceptions.
- No planning.
- Education.
3. What next steps are you going to take to implement a vital communities initiative in your area?
- Identified issues will be acted upon.
- Build on newly developed community on aging and partner with county.
- Anticipate future needs, develop programs.
- We’re already doing it.
- Be more proactive in what we do.
- Knowledge – seminars. Health awareness and proactive preparation.
- PSA.
- Lack of volunteering structure – for optimization of time, talent, and tenacity.
- Promote harmony, and harmonic oneness.
- Start talking.
4. Who in your local community would you engage in a vital communities initiative?
- Aging commissions.
- Intergenerational.
- The school system.
- Every ethnic group, age group, organization, transportation, etc.
- Policymakers.
- No developers until we know what we want.
- Faith communities.
- Media.
- Citizens/residents.
- Senior Housing.
- Staffing services.
- Community education.
- Faith communities.
- Generation “y.”
- Block Nurse Programs.
- Disability Community.
- Boomers themselves – ask what others need.
- Caregivers – identity.
- Universal living – diverse community accessible units, builders/ realtors.
- Be proactive not reactive, collaborate, and cooperate.
5. From today’s presentations and your own knowledge and experience, what are 3 best practices in implementing a vital communities initiative?
- Assessment – think sustainability and universal design.