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Minneapolis Area Senior Workers Association Newsletter
December 2012
In This Issue
December Joint Public Policy Meeting
January 2013 MASWA Meeting
President's Monthly Note
Featured Board Member Of The Month
Membership Renewal for 2013
Quick Links
 
Issue: # 12December 2012
Greetings!

The holiday season is upon us bringing the usual crowded malls, bargains galore and parties with friends and family. Somewhere in the craziness we hope you can find a bit of quiet time to reflect on the year that has passed. Individually, we've impacted seniors and their families, one by one. Collectively, we've impacted the community, the policy makers, and the issues that affect our clients. We say goodbye to 2012, a year packed with change, dissension and growth. And we welcome 2013, bright with promise, opportunities and new ideas to continue making a difference in the aging industry. Thank you for being part of MASWA this year.

 

DECEMBER JOINT PUBLIC POLICY MEETING

 

  

This month there will be a joint public policy meeting with SPSWA on Tuesday, December 11, from 2:30 until 4:00, at The Commons on Marice.

 

Please note the date - Tuesday, December 11 - which is earlier in the month than the normal MASWA meeting date.

 

TOPIC:   "Own Your Future"
  
Speaker:   Beth Paterson

 

Are you a baby boomer (or even slightly younger)? If so, you probably received a letter this fall from Governor Mark Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon urging you to "Own Your Future". This month's membership meeting is a joint public policy discussion with the St. Paul senior workers, and will feature a presentation about the State's "Own Your Future" project. Own Your Future is designed to raise awareness about the costs of long-term care services, remind us of the options for covering those costs, and encourage Minnesotans to plan ahead for our later years when we are likely to need long-term care.

 

Why is this a public policy issue? Because the rising costs of long term care present a significant challenge to our State budget. Even if policy makers made spending on older adult services programs their number one priority, the needs of our aging population could overwhelm the State's ability to pay in the years ahead. Please join the discussion of these important issues, which will impact us as individuals, as well as our businesses and employers, and the people we serve.

 

Our speaker will be Beth Paterson, who was appointed by Lt. Gov. Prettner Solon to serve on the Own Your Future advisory panel.

 

LOCATION:
The Commons at Marice
1380 Marice Drive
Eagan, MN 554121
651-688-9999
  

Certificates of Attendance (CEU) will be available.
Annual Membership fee $20.00 Guest fee $5.00

If you have questions related to this program, please call:

  

Jonathan W. Lips

Attorney at Law

Halleland Habicht PA

Direct: 612-836-5522

jlips@hallelandhabicht.com

 

 

JANUARY 2013 MASWA MEETING: Come early to "Meet the Board," network, and renew your membership

 

The January meeting will have a slightly different look to it. The meeting space will be open early, from 2:00-2:30 pm, for members and visitors to "Meet the MASWA Board," have extra networking time, and complete their 2013 membership registration or renewal. The business meeting will start at its regular 2:45 time, with the presentation from 3:00-4:00 pm.

 

The January meeting will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley on Thursday, January 24, 2013. Watch for details in the January MASWA newsletter.

 

PRESIDENT'S MONTHLY NOTE
 
Beth Nemec

Hopefully you got your fill of turkey, family, shopping and everything else you find comforting for Thanksgiving. As we near the end of the year and look forward to 2013, I want to encourage you to attend the Joint Public Policy Meeting (MASWA/SPSWA) that will take place on Tuesday, December 11th. As you can see in the above information, the presentation will be on Minnesota's "Own Your Future" campaign - a state-federal partnership which urges Minnesotans to plan for the services they will need as they grow old. As senior industry educators and advocates, it will be very helpful to better understand the information that was mailed to over 2,000,000 households in September.

 

The campaign is working to raise public awareness regarding long term care. The presentation will explain why you should and how to plan for your future health and personal needs. "The Own Your Future initiative is an important step in helping Minnesotans plan for and realize the best quality of life in their later years."

 

As we approach the holiday season, I wish you peace and happiness, and look forward to working together in 2013. 

  
Beth Nemec
President
DECEMBER FEATURED  BOARD MEMBER -
Jenny Kasbohm, Education Committee
 
Jenny KasbohmJenny Kasbohm grew up in Richfield with three sisters and only one bathroom in the house. That statement alone garners sympathy for her father! In her early teen years, Jenny enjoyed the company of the seniors she worked with through the Richfield Senior Outreach program.
 

"I performed light housekeeping in the seniors' homes," Jenny says, "but probably did more talking than cleaning." At the end of the day, however, everyone was happy.

 

The enjoyment she discovered working with seniors continues now with the company she owns with her business partner/husband, Mike - AgeRight Retrofit. Approaching their third year in business, Jenny enjoys interacting with the clients as well as her peers in the industry.

 

"I teach 'Matter of Balance' classes and love motivating people to stay active, strong and independent by helping reduce falls. I learn so much from the people who sign up for the eight week sessions - the stories are priceless. And it's wonderful to see how empowered and confident they become by the end of the sessions."

 

Jenny and her husband live in Eden Prairie with their 16-year-old son, Kyle, and fifteen-year-old daughter, Grace. They have two German Short Hair Pointers (Molly and Max), and added a rescue dog to the family last spring, a Chi/Pom mix named Corey. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys unwinding in nature by walking all three dogs.

 

Being active in MASWA is something Jenny has enjoyed over the past few years. "I have truly enjoyed being on the Education Committee. I get to meet with so many neat people who work in our industry every month."

 

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2013
 

We'll be accepting membership renewals for 2013 at the December meeting.  As a reward for renewing early, you will be entered in a prize drawing for a Target gift cards. Please print the application from the link below and bring it with you to the meeting.  Membership is $20 for the year.

 

http://www.seniorworkers.org/images/membershipform2012.pdf