Key Agencies/Organizations
Administration for Community Living (ACL)
The Administration for Community Living is a division of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. ACL By funds services and supports provided by networks of community-based organizations and invests in research, education and innovation to help make this principle a reality for millions of Americans.
Administration on Aging (AoA)
The unit of the Administration for Community Living designated to carry out the provisions of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA). The OAA promotes the well-being of older individuals by providing services and programs designed to help them live independently in their homes and communities. Services are delivered through the Aging Network, which includes Area Agencies on Aging across the nation.
Minnesota Board on Aging
The Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) works to ensure that older Minnesotans and their families are effectively served by state and local policies and programs, so they can age well and live well. As part of the Older Americans Act’s Aging Network, MBA serves as the State Unit on Aging for Minnesota.
Minnesota Gerontological Society (MGS)
MGS works to bridge the work of academics, researchers, regulators and practioners in the field of aging. A professional membership organization composed of professional from a broad range of disciplines, MGA serves as a resource for those seeking information and discussion on aging issues.
Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging
A member organization that brings together Minnesota’s leading minds working to create a new experience of aging in our state. The council works to advance positive system change for older adults and their families and caregivers.
USAging
USAging supports its member organizations — Area Agencies on Aging across the country to achieve their missions of helping older adults and people with disabilities live with dignity and choices in their homes and communities for as long as possible.
Aging
Age-Friendly Minnesota
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed an Executive Order on December 11, 2019, establishing the Governor’s Council on Age-Friendly Minnesota. This website tracks the progress of the effort. Read the preliminary recommendations from the Council issued August 17, 2020.
Better Together: A Comparative Analysis of Age-Friendly and Dementia Friendly Communities (pdf)
AARP, 2016
As more communities in the United States and around the world commit to becoming age-friendly and dementia friendly, there is increasing interest in how the two types of initiatives work together, and complement rather than compete. This report compares the two approaches and finds that while age-friendly may inadvertently neglect the specific needs of older people with dementia, it can offer a means for improving the sustainability and reach of dementia-friendly actions. A detailed comparative analysis and international case studies offer further insight into how the two might be integrated.
Emerging Technologies to Support an Aging Population
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has released a new report identifying innovations that have the potential to improve quality of life for Americans who live with physical or cognitive burdens due to aging or disability. The report identifies six opportunities for emerging technologies to help Americans live longer, healthier, and more independent lives. The report also identifies the needs and challenges found throughout the six capabilities and the R&D needed to bring these innovations to fruition.
The Long-Term Care Imperative
The Long-Term Care Imperative (LTCI) is a partnership of Minnesota’s two senior care provider associations – Care Providers of Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota. The staffing shortage in senior care is a crisis, affecting seniors and families in every corner of the state. Less than three years after an unprecedented pandemic targeted our most vulnerable seniors, they face another crisis today – a growing shortage of caregivers to support them. Nearly 17,000 caregiver positions are vacant in senior living. This initiative strives to address this critical issue.
Reframing Aging
“Countering ageism by changing how we talk about aging.” The National Center to Reframe Aging is dedicated to ending ageism by advancing an equitable and complete story about aging in America. The center is the trusted source for proven communication strategies and tools to effectively frame aging issues.
MN2030 Looking Forward: Renewed energy and insights for an age-friendly Minnesota
Minnesota Board on Aging and Department of Human Services
MN2030 (and its report, MN2030 Looking Forward) is a joint strategic planning project of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Department of Human Services. The report offers a robust framework, the latest input from diverse communities and practical ideas to inspire people, public agencies, organizations and private sectors to make our state age friendly.
Caregiving
Share the Care Journal (pdf)
This journal helps caregivers plan, organize, and reflect on the caregiving process.
A Study of Title III-E Caregiver Services in Minnesota
Wilder Research, 2017
Requested by the Minnesota Board on Aging, this report explores how available funds for caregivers have been spent and what caregivers, service providers, and aging experts say about current and future needs and services.
Valuing the Invaluable Update: Charting a Path Forward
AARP Public Policy Institute, March 8, 2023
Better recognition of and support for family caregivers has become a health, economic, and social imperative. Strengthening support systems must continue—particularly given the demographic reality of population aging and a range of other trends affecting family caregivers.
Demographics
2023 Profile of Older Americans
Administration for Community Living, May 2024
A comprehensive overview of demographics and status of older adults in America.
Minnesota’s Aging Population and Disability Communities
January 2022 presentation by Susan Brower, Minnesota State Demographer about demographics of older adults and people with disabilities.
2019 Status of Older Women in Minnesota: Research Overview
Research from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School’s Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy in partnership with the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.
Across the States 2018: Profiles of Long-Term Services and Supports
Comparable state-level and national data drawn from a large number of studies and data sources. This is the 10th edition of the report produced by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Topics include age demographics and projections; living arrangements, income, and poverty; disability rates; costs of care; private long-term care insurance; Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS); family caregivers; home- and community-based services (HCBS); and nursing facilities.
Aging 2030 – County-level Demographic Data
This site provides demographic data by Minnesota county.
America’s Health Rankings Senior Report 2024
This report examines 52 measures of health from 24 distinct data sources to present a comprehensive overview of the health and well-being of the nation’s older adults. Read the Minnesota Rankings Summary and the full report.
Census Bureau
Department of Commerce
The U.S. Department of Commerce offers national statistics on population and economic indicators.
Minnesota COMPASS
Wilder Research
This website provides a snapshot of key measures related to Minnesota’s growing aging population.
Minnesota Department of Human Services LTSS Demographic Dashboard
Long-term services and supports (LTSS) are a spectrum of health and social services that support Minnesotans who need help with daily living tasks. This dashboard provides information for the statewide population and by county.
State Demographic Center
The State Demographic Center analyzes data from census studies on Minnesota’s population. Users of the site can customize reports for specific data needs.
Financial & Legal
Get the Facts on Economic Security for Seniors
National Council on Aging, February 2024
More than 17 million Americans age 65+ are economically insecure — living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($29,160 per year for a single person in 2023). These older adults struggle with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss.
How Many Seniors Are Living in Poverty?
Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2024
This analysis provides current data on poverty rates among older adults in the U.S., by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and health status and by state, as context for understanding the implications of potential changes to federal and state programs that help to bolster financial security among older adults.
Older Women and Poverty (pdf)
Justice in Aging, 2019
A special report from Justice in Aging examines the financial challenges older women face. It is organized in three parts, beginning with an examination of the causes of poverty for older women. This section also explores the issue of intersectionality in light of disproportionate rates of poverty for both women of color and LGBTQ women. The second part of this report provides an overview of the various anti-poverty programs available for older women. Finally, the third section of this report concludes by offering specific policy recommendations for increasing women’s economic security and access to supports as they get older.
Planning Ahead (pdf)
Minnesota Board on Aging
This publication includes information about legal planning tools, durable power of attorney, trusts, guardianships and conservatorships, health care directives, medical assistance, funeral planning and wills.
Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project (UMPRP)
The Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project (UMPRP) is one of six regional pension counseling projects funding by the U.S. Administration on Aging to provide free legal counseling services to individuals in the six-state region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Health & Wellness
2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
Alzheimer’s Association, 2019
This annual report offers insight into the burden of Alzheimer’s and dementia on individuals, caregivers, government and the nation’s health care system. The report provides an in-depth look at the latest national statistics on Alzheimer’s prevalence, incidence, mortality, and costs. It also examines awareness, attitudes, and utilization of cognitive assessments among older adults.
Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health: Final Report
Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2016
The task force offers a vision and set of principles that should drive improvements to the mental health system to create a comprehensive continuum of care. They believe that the mental health system should be person- and family-centered, and that it should provide timely, integrated, culturally responsive, community-based services and activities.
Health Care Choices for Minnesotans on Medicare
This source provides information on Medicare plans available in Minnesota and is updated and reissued each year.
Health Care Home Care Coordination
Health Reform Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Toolkit for Working with Persons with Complex Needs and Older Adults. The toolkit offers resources and guidance to certified health care home (HCH) clinics caring for seniors and people with disabilities who have complex functional support needs in addition to their medical issues.
Healthcare Affordability: Untangling Cost Drivers
Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI)
This report provides actionable data about managing healthcare spending. Using nationally standardized, risk-adjusted measures, NRHI members are measuring how prices and care delivery patterns influence healthcare costs in states around the country. The results give providers, policymakers, employers, health plans and consumers new insights as they craft the solutions needed to improve healthcare affordability locally and nationally.
Healthy Brain Initiative: The 2018-2023 Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map
CDC and Alzheimer’s Association
This report outlines actions state and local public health agencies and their partners can take to stimulate changes in policies, systems and environments, with the goal of ensuring that initiatives to address Alzheimer’s can be easily and efficiently incorporated into existing public health efforts. The CDC has recently published a dissemination guide for this resource. The guide is designed to aid in communication about this publication and includes a newsletter template, sample social media posts, and talking points of key facts.
Dissemination Guide for the 2018-2023 Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Legislative Report: Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group
Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group, January 2019
The 2017 Minnesota Legislature charged the Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group to report on findings and recommendations on Alzheimer’s disease in Minnesota. More than 94,000 Minnesotans are living with Alzheimer’s, as of 2018. Key findings include that Minnesota is not fully prepared for the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and that there is a severe shortage of long-term care workers. The group makes 18 recommendations for a “new reality for Minnesota’s response” to these diseases.
Long-term Care Choices Navigator for Seniors, Families and Caregivers
There are many options to help today’s older adults age well and live well. The Long-term Care Choices Navigator is a step-by-step tool that will help you figure out what you need to live well and age well, guide you to resources in your community, and help you create a plan.
Minnesota’s Long-Term Services & Supports State Scorecard Fact Sheet (pdf)
AARP, The Commonwealth Fund and the Scan Foundation
This report provides a state-by-state scorecard on long-term services and supports. It provides information to help older people and adults with disabilities to exercise choice and control over their lives, thereby maximizing their independence and well-being.
Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
The Office of Rural Health and Primary Care promotes access to quality health care for all Minnesotans. The website is part of the Minnesota Department of Health.
Minnesota Transgender Aging Project Community Report: Focus on Providers
Rainbow Health Initiative and University of Minnesota Duluth, Social Work Department, 2017
Trans older adults are often isolated from one another, with less social support than cisgender lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the same age group. Trans older adults have shown higher rates of depression, stress, disability and poor physical health than their cisgender counterparts who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. This study focused on the Twin Cities Metro and Arrowhead region. It addressed two questions: How do trans older adults experience the quality and welcome of health services and aging services? What do health services and aging services need in order to provide effective, appropriate care to this population?
The Opioid Public Health Emergency and Older Adults
Administration for Community Living, 2017
Opioid use disorder can affect people of all ages; racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minorities; income classes; and geographic areas. Older adults are among the groups affected by this problem because they often use prescription opioids to cope with painful chronic conditions, such as arthritis, or procedures, such as surgery. Among the risks that older adults who use opioids face are death, hospitalization, and use of emergency departments.
Housing
Heading Home Together: Minnesota’s 2018-2020 Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness
This report reflects a shared belief that through concerted, collaborative effort, we can effectively end homelessness in Minnesota. It represents a commitment to deeper collaboration with partners in philanthropy, business, faith communities, tribal and local government, housing and service providers and people with lived experiences of homelessness.
Housing America’s Older Adults 2019
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, 2019
Within the age group of 65 and older, the number of households with housing cost burdens has reached an all-time high. Ensuring that middle- and lower-income households in this age range have the means to live affordably and safely in their current homes or move to other suitable housing will be a growing challenge.
A Key to Choice for Seniors (pdf)
This guide was created to help assess lifestyle needs and evaluate the many housing and service options available to seniors in Minnesota. If may also be a useful resource for service providers who work with seniors to evaluate needs and provide appropriate services or referrals.
Live Well at Home
Minnesota Board on Aging
Most older adults prefer to live in their homes and do so successfully. This website provides a four-step guide for achieving that goal. It helps people focus their time, effort, and money on the things that matter most to them.
MN Housing Measures 2012-2018
The McKnight Foundation and HousingLink, 2019
Twin Cities renters face a market where only 27% of advertised vacancies are affordable to 60% of the area median income. Through analysis of private market and affordable housing data, the latest MN Housing Measures report produced annually in partnership between the McKnight Foundation and HousingLink shows a new low in affordability for the region and the state.
Minnesota Homeless Study
Wilder Research, March 2024
Single Night Count of People Experiencing Homelessness: 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study Counts Fact Sheet. Every three years, Wilder Research conducts a one-day statewide study to better understand the prevalence of homelessness in Minnesota, as well as the circumstances of those experiencing homelessness. The most recent study took place on October 26, 2023. The study noted that homelessness among older adults, age 55+, was the only subgroup in which there was an increase in numbers (7%) compared to 2018.
Office of Health Facilities Complaints: 2018 Evaluation Report
Office of the Legislative Auditor, State of Minnesota
This report details regulatory gaps and flawed state processes for investigating abuse among elder Minnesotans living in housing with services facilities. The report found that the Office of Health Facilities Complaints has not met its responsibilities to protect vulnerable adults in Minnesota. The report sites two primary reasons for the failure: poor internal operations at OHFC and Minnesota’s complex regulatory structure. The report recommends actions needed to improve OHFC’s internal operations and includes several legislative recommendations.
State of the State’s Housing 2019
Minnesota Housing Partnership, 2019
When all Minnesotans have access to a safe, affordable home, our communities and businesses will grow and thrive. That vision is within our reach. But only if we address our state’s growing lack of affordable housing.
Tip Sheets on Disaster & Emergency Preparedness
Minnesota Department of Homeland Security
Tips on what to do in an emergency.
Rural Issues
Aging in Rural Minnesota
A comparative analysis of data and policy impacting aging in Minnesota
rural and urban regions. This report was supported by a grant from the Minnesota Board on Aging with Federal Older American Act and American Rescue Plan funds, in partnership with the following: Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging, Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging, Central MN Council on Aging, Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging and Southeastern
Minnesota Area Agency on Aging.
Greater Minnesota: Refined & Revisited
Minnesota State Demographic Center, January 2017
Greater Minnesota: Refined & Revisited, presents an up-to-date portrait of Minnesota residents who live outside of urban areas, using data assembled from small geographic building blocks (more than 1,300 census tracts) to create a more nuanced understanding of these places.
Bridging the Funding Gap for Rural Aging
Grantmakers in Aging
More than one in five older adults live in a rural designated community, yet only 7% of private philanthropic investments are directed towards rural areas. Older people in rural areas face a range of challenges related to mobility, economic security, housing, and health care. While older people across the nation face similar challenges, the physical and social isolation that can occur in a rural setting compounds problems and makes it even more difficult to age in a community, safely and well.
Providing Economic Stability for Rural Minnesota Families, Employers and Communities during Family and Medical Leaves
Research Brief from Humphrey School of Public Affairs – January 2019
“More than half of rural workers said they would very likely face hardship if they had to take a few months of unpaid time off work, compared to 40% of metro area workers.” This research brief presents the case for why rural communities have both greater need and less access to paid leave.
Rural Social Isolation and Loneliness: Three-part Series
Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, 2020
A three-part, online training on loneliness and social isolation in older adults.
The State of Rural Minnesota, 2020
Center for Rural Policy and Development Issues
This annual report provides an update on various economic and demographic data pertaining to rural Minnesota. This report provides historical data points that illustrate how rural conditions have changed and where they are at now, making for healthy discussions about the current demographic and economic vitality of these areas.
Transportation
The Future of Rural Transportation and Mobility for Older Adults
CITRIS and the Banatao Institute and Grantmakers in Aging
Technology has been a transformational agent in the way that people live, work, and socialize. The impact of current technology trends on transportation and personal mobility are no different given our anticipation of how technology will influence the movement of people and goods. The rural transportation landscape has received little attention and funding for research and development. The focus and scope of this white paper is on the transformation of mobility for older adults in rural communities through technological innovation in transportation solutions.
Volunteer Driver Coalition
A collaboration of 80+ organizations, government entities and businesses that strive to eliminate barriers for volunteer drivers and to ease the financial burden imposed by current tax requirements on mileage reimbursement received by volunteers.
Volunteer Driver Programs in Minnesota: Benefits and Barriers
Minnesota Council on Transportation Access, 2017
This report documents the organizations that use volunteer drivers to help meet the transportation needs of their clients, how they organize and fund their volunteer driver programs, and the challenges these organizations face in continuing to provide these services with volunteer drivers, including issues with insurance coverage. In addition, it includes the survey method followed, a discussion of the results and conclusions from the survey data, and recommendations for how the identified barriers might be addressed.