You might be wondering, what exactlyis a senior cooperative living community? For one, you get to experience the joy of ownership without having to deal with the additional costs and complications of traditional home or condo ownership. In addition,your new homewill be move-in ready you can settle in right away, meet your new neighbors and explore the numerous common areas and outdoor amenities throughout the community.Co-op members share equal ownership of the entire property and grounds. When you live in an Applewood Pointe cooperative, youll quickly notice how much your voice matters. Beyond the day-to-day maintenance, everything is run by resident members. You are involved in making decisions. You vote members onto the board. You contribute to deciding how to change or implement policies and regulations. You live with purpose and joy.

Minnesota Elder Justice CenterOur trained advocates can listen and support victims and loved ones through abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. Our services are confidential, and free of charge. Along with this support, we can:Locate needed resourcesHelp make sense of complicated systems and processesMake a plan for what comes nextUnderstand guardianship and conservatorship We also offer Legal Service Supports that can include:Safety planningObtaining protective ordersReferral to legal system providers, when appropriateIncapacity planning clinics with legal aid organizations across MNCourt accompaniment for older and vulnerable victimsLimited legal representation, including fiduciary restructuring and assistanceSupport groups for family members of victims of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation are also being piloted in select areas statewide.To get help or more information, please call us at 651-440-9300AARP MINNESOTAFind these publications and AARP Resources for Caregivers and their Families at: www.aarp.org/caregiving. Or call the AARP MInnesota State Office at 1-866-554-5381The Senior LinkAge Line is the Minnesota Board on Aging's free statewide information and assistance service. The Minnesota Senior Linkage Line has a number of resources and can provide help to seniors and their families. Contact: 1-800-333-2433NATIONAL CENTER ON ELDER ABUSENATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON ABUSE IN LATER LIFEFRAMEWORKS ELDER ABUSE TOOLKIT TELL US YOUR STORYYour stories matter and will bring about change by helping MENC provide the results of our advocacy learning in the community during the month of August to Rep. Rena Moran, Chair of the Health & Human Services Policy, who will review in an effort to propose laws that give our community elders more resources and support. All voices matters. It is time to stand up for the values we were taught by our ancestors and to make a difference in the lives of elders in our community.Check in with elders in your community and find out if they have been a victim of any type of elder abuse. We invite you to tell us your elder abuse story or a story that you witnessed in your community. Contact us at - Victim Services - 651-440-9312 or online at www.mneldernonviolence.org

Home Improvements: How to Prevent Slips and Falls from Rain, Snow, and Ice This WinterRain, snow, and ice during winter increase the risk of slips and falls among elderly loved ones. Seeing as most people aged 65 and above have mobility issues, rain, snow, and ice during winter make navigating even harder for them. Luckily, you can make some home improvements to ensure their safety during this period. Here are expert home improvement tips from Senior Helpers to prevent slips and falls among senior citizens.Invest In Proper FootwearWinter is characterized by slippery surfaces, and this can worsen balance issues in elderly loved ones and cause slips and falls, which may result in serious injuries. To prevent this, invest in proper footwear. Senior's shoes are well-treaded with a rubber sole that not only prevents skids and falls but also keeps the feet warm while walking around the house.Enhance LightingElderly loved ones often have visual problems; therefore, their caregivers should improve the lighting at home during winter to prevent them from tripping over things. This is especially needed in areas such as bathrooms and stairways.Use Absorbent and Anti-Slip MatsAbsorbent and anti-slip mats come in handy for walkway and doorway areas throughout the home. They absorb the water from the rain and ice during winter, reducing slips and falls. Also, keep common walk areas clean and dry at all times during the winter season.Check For Trip Hazards Around the HomeTrip and slip hazards include potholes or cracks around the home. Check for these and have them repaired before winter. Additionally, clutter, such as trailing electrical cords, toys, and boxes, can lead to fall accidents. They should also be cleared to leave enough space around to accommodate walkers and canes.Install Mobility AidsMobility aids such as grab bars and safety poles are essential when fall-proofing an elderly loved one's home. They help seniors maintain balance and stability when navigating wet and slippery surfaces during winter.Plan For Ice and Snow RemovalYou should also schedule for ice and snow around the home. This can be done with the help of other family members or by engaging professionals. For indoor ice, you can use a floor fan to keep walk paths and floors dry.Spread Sand or SaltSpreading sand or salt on the walkway lowers the freezing point of the water, reducing the amount of ice to declutter and providing traction. This makes it easy and safe for seniors to move around.Add Non-Slip TapeNon-slip tapes have a textured upper surface that makes them slip-resistant. Add them on the floor to prevent elderly loved ones from skidding on wet surfaces.Stair TreadsStair treads on both outdoor and indoor stairs prevent fall accidents during winter. They are made from slip-resistant and stain-free material.Clear Fallen Tree Branches Around the Home During WinterWinter storms and rain may break weak tree branches. These branches are safety hazards that may trip seniors and cause injuries. If there are trees around your home, clear any fallen branches immediately after they fall.Senior Helpers of Burnsville Can HelpSlips and falls can be serious health hazards to our elderly loved ones. Therefore, home improvements before and during winter are important to ensure their safety. However, caution should be exercised when improving the home; consult an expert if you cannot make the changes on your own.Senior Helpers of Burnsville can do a house safety evaluation and help you fall-proof it to be safe for seniors. If you're looking for more personalized help, we also have professional caregivers serving Burnsville, Saint Paul, and Cottage Grove, Hastings. Contact us to get a caregiver you can trust.

In his 70s and still going strong, Tom Reid doesnt look like a guy ready to slow down!His pub and hockey broadcasting jobs keep him constantly on the move, but thats just the way he likes it.By Dan Myers Tom Reid is 73 years old. Technically, he retired more than 40 years ago, but the long-time former Minnesota North Star doesn't see himself slowing down any time soon.Born on June 24, 1946 in Fort Erie, Ontario -- just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York -- Reid, like most young Canadian boys at that time, spent his winter days on outdoor ice, skating from the time the sun came up until it went down.On school days, he and his brothers and his friends would rush home, throw on their skates and hit the rink they had built in the backyard. He would turn that passion into a career, one that's still going strong some 53 years after he first set foot on a professional ice hockey rink. He's had to chart a new course a couple of times, and things haven't always gone according to plan, but Reid has managed to live life's working dream: he's spent a career in and around something he loves."I wouldn't change this for anything," Reid says with a smile. "I love what I've done. I've met a lot of people along the way, I've met some very good friends that I still stay in touch with. But it's one of those things where I enjoy doing something. I'm not one to sit around the house." Spend time with Reid and that becomes perfectly clear.Reid has been working in broadcasting since the end of his playing career, doing games both on television earlier in his career, and on radio. He's still the radio analyst for all Minnesota Wild games home and away, which means he's on the road for 41 games per season.When he's not with the team, Reid owns a pub in downtown St. Paul that bears his own name, Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub. In the 20 years since it opened, Reid's bar has become a must-stop for any hockey fan visiting the capital of the State of Hockey.But he's not just the namesake of the pub ... chances are good if you stop in, you'll see Reid inside. If he's not visiting with his customers, slapping backs and telling stories, he'll be wiping down a countertop, mopping a floor or fixing a toilet.Reid has never been afraid to get his hands dirty and put some sweat equity into his businesses."I'll do anything," Reid said. "And if I do it, I think it's a big plus for my employees. They see that if I'm willing to do it, they should be able to do it too."Reid grew up just a stone's throw from the northern shores of Lake Erie. His first job was when he was seven picking raspberries, making two cents per quart. He'd eventually graduate to 40 hours per week, making 50 cents per hour, helping to keep Fort Erie's parks clean during the summer.Reid prepared to sign his first pro contract during an era when players didn't have agents. When he sat down to negotiate with former longtime Chicago Black Hawks GM Tommy Ivan, Reid couldn't believe the money they were going to pay him.Ivan promised him $10,000 for the season if he played on the NHL team and $5,000 if he was in the minors. Because he had made an All-Star team with his junior club the year prior, they would give him a $500 signing bonus."That was more money than I had ever heard of in my life," Reid said with a laugh.After signing the deal, Ivan made Reid promise he wouldn't reveal his salary to the veteran players on the team, saying it would interrupt the team's entire pay scale. But during a road trip to the West Coast, Hall-of-Famer Stan Mikita convinced Reid to share the details of his contract, saying it would help them negotiate their own deals. One day, that would trickle down to Reid. So Reid did as he was told and provided his salary to the veteran player."Are you happy with that?" Mikita asked Reid. "Yeah," Reid answered back. "That's the minimum," Mikita said.Reid laughed and shook his head."I said, 'I don't care, I'm in the National Hockey League,'" Reid said. "It's never been about the money for me. I've always just enjoyed the game."Reid's time in Chicago was short. He was traded to the Minnesota North Stars on Valentine's Day in 1969 and it was there where Reid would play for the next decade.During that time, Reid became one of the most popular players on the team. After serving as an extra defenseman in Chicago early in his career, Reid was given more ice time and more responsibility. But later in his tenure, he developed a skin condition that would eventually end his playing career. Every time he would put his equipment on, he would get a painful rash on his upper torso. Reid played through the condition for the final three seasons of his career, being forced to spend up to two weeks in the hospital at the end of the season as his skin grew back and healed.Finally, it became too much, and he walked away from the game he loved in 1978.But he wouldn't walk far.Walter Bush, the founder of the club, asked if he'd be willing to join legendary play-by-play man Al Shaver in the broadcast booth to do color commentary.It was an adjustment for him. Reid had never been a good public speaker; when he was a kid, he couldn't even deliver speeches in front of his class because of his fear. But learning from Shaver helped and over the years, Reid has become one of the most recognizable voices in all of hockey."I got to learn from one of the best," Reid said. "He was great. He taught me a lot and he helped nurture me along."Eventually, Reid would get paired for TV broadcasts with Bob Kurtz, and the two would form a long-time working relationship and friendship. The two would work together for five years in the early 1980s before joining forces again with the Wild in 2001, and the two have been together on the radio ever since.Between the pub and his broadcasting, Reid is always busy. At a time when most folks his age are looking to slow down, Reid's not sure he'll ever give up his hectic lifestyle."The Wild have been very good to me over the years and I enjoy what I do. I try and promote the game as best as I can," Reid said. "Will I ever retire? I don't know which one I could leave first. I love them both."The Seniors Blue Book would like to especially thank Tom Reid, Dan Myers of the Wild, Dr. Robert Keifer and Mike Ohlhauser of Drake Bank for their help in the production of this article for the Seniors Blue Book!