The Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) will be at the Minnesota State Fair this year with helpful information on a wide range of topics, including mental health, Medicare, caregiving, making Minnesota a more age-friendly state, and planning for long-term care.
Activities include:
Mental Health Day at the
State Fair, Dan Patch Park
Monday, Aug. 26, 8 am to 6 pm
Stage performances, music, demonstrations, yoga, and activities for children and teens all will be part of the day, aimed at raising awareness and promoting mental health and wellness. DHS will join more than 55 other organizations for this event, hosted by the Minnesota State Advisory Council on Mental Health, Subcommittee on Children’s Mental Health and the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Minnesota Board on Aging
booth, Education Building, Cosgrove St.
Ongoing throughout the fair
· Ask the experts: Senior LinkAge Line experts will answer questions about Medicare, drug plans, aging in place, preventing fraud and abuse, and other topics of interest to older adults and their family members.
· Take the pledge: Help Minnesota become one of the first states to be designated age-friendly by the World Health Organization and AARP. MN2030: Looking Forward, a DHS, and Board on Aging initiative is building momentum for 2030 when baby boomers start turning 85. Fairgoers can participate in the effort to create a better future for older adults in Minnesota by taking the pledge to help people thrive as they age.
· Participate in the annual survey: Own Your Future, an initiative of DHS and other state agencies will conduct its annual State Fair survey, which asks fairgoers how they plan to pay for long-term services and support most will need as they age. DHS and other agencies use the survey results to gauge how concerns and behavior regarding retirement and long-term care planning are changing over time and how trends could influence public policy.
HealthFair11 Building,
Dan Patch Ave. and Cooper St.
Ongoing throughout the fair
Share a caregiving story: The Minnesota Board on Aging and DHS will focus on the importance of caregiving and encourage fairgoers to share inspirational stories on social media. Fairgoers can write examples of how they care for loved ones on whiteboards that feature the tagline, “I’m a #MNCaregiver,” and then take pictures of themselves holding up the signs. Messages may vary from “I talk to my dad on the phone every day” to “I do things for my mom that she can’t do anymore.”
Logistics
The Minnesota State Fair runs Thursday, Aug. 22 through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2. The State Fair Education Building is open from 9 am to 9 pm daily during the fair.
Senior LinkAge Line, www.seniorlinkageline.com and 800-333-2433, are part of a Minnesota family of information and assistance services that also includes Disability Hub, www.disabilityhubmn.org, 1-866-333-2466; Veterans Linkage Line, 888-LinkVet; and the online service www.MinnesotaHelp.info.
— Information provided by DHS.
Reach the staff at the MSR at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.