Breakout 1A: Effective Strategies for Serving Seniors with Vision Loss 

Nearly 10% of Americans over 80 live with a level of vision loss that negatively impacts their quality of life, ability to function independently, and their risk for falls and other health factors. No longer being able to drive, being unable to read the instructions on a medication label, shying away from social events, being afraid to cook or clean – these are only some of the challenges of vision loss that can leave seniors feeling anxious, uncertain, overwhelmed, or worse. Staff in the Senior Services unit of State Services for the Blind provide Minnesota low vision seniors with tools, resources, and training to increase independence and confidence, and wherever possible, to help consumers stay in their homes and active in their communities.

In this presentation SSB staff will offer simple strategies that can be easily shared with seniors living with low vision. Having the tools and resources to live well with vision loss is a key component to building an age-friendly Minnesota.

Presenters will present some of the advances in technologies that can increase senior's capacity for independence; they will share information on how to connect with free resources from the State of Minnesota; most of all, they will provide attendees with simple, teachable techniques that can make an immediate difference for seniors struggling with vision loss.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn simple strategies they can offer to seniors living with low vision to promote autonomy.
• Participants will learn about the challenges faced by seniors with low vision in the areas of daily living, technology, getting around, and social connections
• Participants will learn about resources for addressing these challenges.

Breakout 1B: Educating Age-Friendly Healthcare Professionals: Utilizing MN Northstar Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program Interdisciplinary Educational Materials and Programs 

The care of older adults relies on interprofessional collaboration, yet many students, professionals, and faculty lack competencies in interprofessional collaboration and training on Age-friendly care. One of the goals of the MN Northstar Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) is to provide interdisciplinary educational learning opportunities to prepare healthcare students, professionals, and faculty to provide Age-Friendly, Dementia-Friendly, and Culturally-inclusive care. We will share updates on interprofessional collaborative practice competencies and discuss how to use and evaluate the interprofessional learning experiences and materials created by the MN Northstar GWEP including: the Interprofessional Geriatrics Case Competition, Dementia Friends, the Age Friendly Care and Education Collection, Geriatric Education Toolkits, GeriPreceptor Tipsheets, Dementia Friendly Dental Practices, and Indigenous Cognitive Health.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will identify resources and approaches to provide age-friendly, dementia-friendly, and culturally-inclusive interdisciplinary education to students, health care professionals, and faculty.
• Attendees will be able to use current interprofessional collaborative practice competencies to implement and evaluate interprofessional interdisciplinary education to students, health care professionals, and faculty.

Breakout 1C: Accessing Outdoor Space and Social Connections as We Age 

As we age, our ability to access outdoor spaces and stay socially connected plays a vital role in maintaining physical health, emotional well-being, and community engagement. This session will explore how walkable infrastructure and connections to nature contribute support healthy aging.

Participants will learn how safe, accessible walking (or rolling) routes foster social ties and support healthier, more inclusive neighborhoods—while also examining how outdated, car-centric infrastructure can be a barrier, particularly for marginalized populations. In addition, we’ll look at statewide efforts to connect Minnesotans 55+ with nature, highlighting promising programs, key findings from a recent field scan, and ongoing work to share models and build awareness. Together, we’ll consider tools and resources—from AARP’s free walkability guides to innovative nature-based programming—that can help communities design healthier, more connected futures for older adults.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how outdated infrastructure inhibits walkability and mobility, especially for marginalized communities.
• Learn how walkable, nature-connected communities facilitate critical social connections and other Age-Friendly benefits.
• Discover AARP's walkability resources and innovative, nature-based models that improve infrastructure, quality of life, and public health for older adults.
• Explore opportunities to engage with and contribute to statewide efforts connecting older adults to nature and outdoor spaces.

Breakout 1D: PANEL Discussion: Age-Friendly Community Innovations: Insights from Indigenous and Rural Community Based Researchers

Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team (MK-MDT) is located at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. The mission of MK-MDT is to engage Indigenous and rural communities in culturally meaningful research to improve dementia and brain health outcomes for all. Our foundation research approach is grounded in community-based participatory research methods, including the hiring of local community-based researchers (CBRs). In this panel, four of our CBRs – two from Tribal communities, and two from rural Northern Minnesota – will discuss the ways in which their communities are embracing, uplifting, and incorporating age-friendly initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

• After attending this session, attendees should be able to describe the basic tenets of community-based participatory research.
• After attending this session, attendees should be able to illustrate the different age-friendly initiatives taking place Northern Minnesota - in both Tribal and rural communities

Breakout 1E: PANEL: Engaging Community Leaders 

Our panel discussion would begin with a power point introducing attendees to the GF-LAH/BNP and the Granite Falls organizations represented on the panel. We will show how we work together in serving the seniors in our community. We will highlight some past examples of collaborative programs, including: a memory cafe, memory choir, Dementia Friends Education, intergenerational writing workshops and tech-ed for seniors' workshops, Evidence-Based Matter of Balance classes and other events and programs. The presentation will conclude with a set of questions designed to engage the audience in a group discussion.

Learning Objectives:

• Steps to consider when reaching out to community organizations and leaders
• Methods to use for identifying action activities
• Processes to use for engaging volunteers and community participants