AARP Designates St. Cloud As An Age Friendly City

(KNSI) – The City of St. Cloud has been recognized by the AARP as an age-friendly city.

Jay Haapala is the Associate State Director of Community Engagement for AARP and says the designation gives St. Cloud seniors access to resources that can help improve the quality of their daily lives.

“So that includes housing, access and affordability, transportation and accessibility and options for mobility to move around and, and get to the services and the places people need to go. And then it’s the public places and in buildings that are part of that physical infrastructure, but it’s not just the physical infrastructure, it’s the social environment as well. So how are older adults in St. Cloud included and engaged in civic life? How do people have access to information that they need the services that they need as they get older?”

St. Cloud has more than 16,000 residents who are over 55 and was chosen due to its targeted work to help older adults.

“It’s certainly recognizing that people are getting older, they’re living longer, and that’s a good thing. But just like it is in many other places, the long-term infrastructure and even the social components that make up a community haven’t kept pace with the needs of that aging population. And so even in St. Cloud’s strategic plan, they’ve known for some time that it’s necessary to make some improvements. And what they decided is that by joining our network, it’s going to help them focus and improve and take advantage of what they can learn from other communities across the nation.”

One of the things Haapala highlighted as an asset to St. Cloud is the Whitney Senior Center, which just opened back up on January 11th. The Whitney Times for December, January and February is now available at the center. There is an enclosed bin outside, so no one has to come in to the building to pick one up. Virtual and in-person activities are in full swing, but pre-registration is required.

Haapala says places like the Whitney Senior Center can help with social isolation as that can be difficult for seniors, especially during the pandemic, which he says, has been a particular issue.

“While in normal times, we would be regularly hosting social gatherings and educational programs in conference ballrooms, and at community centers, we’re not doing that right now. So there are many online programs. Whether it’s a fun opportunity to play games and socialize or being entertained or whether there are webinars about educational topics, we have tons of fun, free, online virtual programs that are available to people.”

A website called Connect 2 Affect helps seniors find the resources they need that are available to them. There is also an assessment tool to see if you or a loved one is at risk for social isolation.

Another way to combat social isolation is through the AARP’s Friendly Caller program. According to its website, trained AARP Friendly Voice volunteers will provide a call to say hello.

You can find out more about the free online AARP Minnesota specific programs by clicking here.