Health & Wellness:
MN State & Local Government Resources:
MN Health Reform: http://mn.gov/health-reform The purpose of this website is to provide Minnesotans with information on how health reform affects you, your family, and business. On this website, you will find basic facts about health reform in Minnesota, and opportunities to connect to activities in our state.
National Government Resources:
Disability.Gov Disability.gov is the federal government website for comprehensive information on disability programs and services in communities nationwide. You can find answers to questions about everything from Social Security to employment to affordable and accessible housing. New information is added daily across 10 main subject areas – Benefits, Civil Rights, Community Life, Education, Emergency Preparedness, Employment, Health, Housing, Technology and Transportation. Disability.gov is a web portal, which means every time you select a resource, you will be directed to another website. https://www.disability.gov/
Healthcare Resources:
Aging with Dignity (The Five Wishes): Five Wishes has become America’s most popular living will because it is written in everyday language and helps start and structure important conversations about care in times of serious illness.
http://www.agingwithdignity.org/
MN Health Reform: http://mn.gov/health-reform The purpose of this website is to provide Minnesotans with information on how health reform affects you, your family, and business. On this website, you will find basic facts about health reform in Minnesota, and opportunities to connect to activities in our state.
Cure Together: The smarter way to find the best treatments. Access to millions of ratings comparing the real-world performance of treatments across 589 health conditions. http://curetogether.com/
E-Patients.Net: Participatory Medicine is a movement in which networked patients shift from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health, and in which providers encourage and value them as full partners. http://participatorymedicine.org/
Caregiving Resources:
AgingCare.Com : AgingCare.com is an online community that connects people caring for elderly parents to other caregivers, personalized information, and local resources.
http://www.agingcare.com/
A Man’s Guide to Balanced and Guilt Free Caregiving: This Guide is one of a few caregiving resources directed specifically to men. It is not a "how to" care Guide but rather a way for men to better understand why they care, the style of caregiving they provide, and how they can become self-determined, balanced and guilt-free caregivers. http://www.maleguideforcaregiving.com/index.php
CaregiverMN.Org: CaregiverMN is a service of DARTS that offers multiple resources for family caregivers, including one-to-one support and workplace resources for Twin Cities area caregivers and some culturally specific information for Spanish-speaking and Hmong family caregivers.
www.caregivermn.org
Caregiver’s Home Companion: Our website is designed as a “home” for you -- to help you make important care decisions with informative articles and resources -- even personal advice from our caregiving Board of Experts. We also provide you with a community: an online oasis where you can share feelings and tips, ask advice, and meet other caregivers. http://www.caregivershome.com/
Pathfinder Care Management: We provide a broad spectrum of services, from medical advocacy to arranging for financial and legal planning, from coordinating home health services to providing oversight of care.
http://www.rentadaughter.com/
Eldercare Mediation: Elder Mediation helps elders and families reach agreement about challenging decisions related to aging. Some of those common challenges are: •Living arrangements •Shared Caregiving •Safety and Autonomy •Driving •Money Management •End-of-life Decisions
http://www.eldermediationmn.com/
Family Caregiving 101: If you're caring for a loved one who is ill or disabled, this site was created for you. It's a great place to find assistance, answers, new ideas and helpful advice — for you and your loved one. http://www.familycaregiving101.org/
Family Caregivers Online: Find information here if you are helping someone aged 60 and older with physical care, emotional support, daily activities, doctor visits, shopping, legal issues, financial matters, and finding resources. You are a caregiver if you are an adult daughter or son, spouse, relative, or friend helping someone limited or unable to do things for themselves because of illness or disability. http://www.familycaregiversonline.net/
Full Circle of Care: We are working together to provide you with support, education, information, and assistance needed to support your efforts to keep your older family members living at home in a secure and loving environment for as long as possible. http://www.fullcirclecare.org/
GriefNet.Org: GriefNet.org is an Internet community of persons dealing with grief, death, and major loss. We have over 50 e-mail grief support groups and two web sites. Our integrated approach to on-line grief support provides help to people working through loss and grief issues of many kinds. Our companion site, KIDSAID.com, provides a safe environment for grieving kids and their parents to find information and ask questions. http://www.griefnet.org/
National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse: The Committee is one of three partners that make up the National Center on Elder Abuse, funded by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse on information and materials on abuse and neglect. http://www.preventelderabuse.org/
Well Spouse: The Well SpouseTM Association, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization, advocates for and addresses the needs of individuals caring for a chronically ill and/or disabled spouse/partner. They offer peer to peer support and educate the general public about the special challenges and unique issues "well" spouses face every day. http://www.wellspouse.org/
Wellness in General:
Blue Zones: The average American could live an extra 12 years and be 40% happier by optimizing their lifestyle and environment. Working with National Geographic, the National Institutes on Aging and AARP, they found parts of the world where people live the longest, happiest lives. This website includes tools to help you change your lifestyle and environment to live the longest, best life you can. http://www.bluezones.com/
Environmental Working Group: EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and the EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides™) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change. http://www.ewg.org/
The Nature Principle (Richard Louv): This encouraging and influential work offers renewed optimism while challenging us to rethink the way we live. http://richardlouv.com/
Exercise:
Go4Life: The National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) recently released a new website: Go4Life. This site is aimed at promoting safe and effective exercise and physical activity for older adults and people with chronic conditions. Go4Life seeks to motivate older adults “to become physically active for the first time, return to exercise after a break in their routines, or build more exercise and physical activity into weekly routines.” The site includes free motivational tips, exercises, and resources. The basis of Go4Life is evidence-based practices that have proven to be useful to older adults and younger people with chronic conditions. Guides are available in English and Spanish. This site will serve as a useful resource for anyone seeking motivation, suggestions, or answers to questions. http://go4life.niapublications.org/
Nutrition:
Local Harvest -- This Web site will help you find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. http://www.localharvest.org/
Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals -- The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada. http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) -- CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms. http://buylocalfood.org/
FoodRoutes -- The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA's, and markets near you. http://www.foodroutes.org/
Mental Health & Emotional Healing:
NAMI MN: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with mental illness and their families. NAMI Minnesota offers education, support and advocacy.
http://www.namihelps.org/about-nami.html
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): EFT is a form of psychological acupressure, based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles. Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest while you think about your specific problem - whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. -- and voice positive affirmations.
http://eft.mercola.com/
Earnie Larson: Change is a Choice Resources: Earnie Larsen is a nationally known author and lecturer. Earnie has authored more than 55 books and 40 motivational self-help tapes on a variety of topics ranging from managing interpersonal relationships to spirituality. He is widely read and listened to and often quoted in 12-Step Groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Adult Children of Alcoholics. Earnie has been referred to as an authority in dealing with issues like co-dependency and dysfunctional behaviors. http://www.changeisachoice.com/
Christian Counseling Resources:
MN Renewal Center: (Christian Based Counseling) Minnesota Renewal is committed to the healing of persons and relationships. As skilled psychologists, marriage and family therapists and pastoral counselors, they come alongside you in your struggle and work with you to enable insight, understanding, restoration and hope for whatever difficulty you are facing. http://www.minnesotarenewal.org/index.html
WellSpring Life Resources, Plymouth, MN Offering live events, small group resources and counseling services that call hungry hearts toward a more rich and transforming daily experience of God. Wellspring presents renewal events for leaders and lay people across the country, with small group materials that are refreshing thirsty hearts in over 30 denominations in the U.S. and overseas. www.wellspringliferesources.com
Christian Counseling Center: Dr. Brian Campbell is a Christian Psychologist and author. This site is jam-packed with Christian counseling resources! http://counseling4christians.com/
Earnie Larson: Change is a Choice Resources: Earnie Larsen is a nationally known author and lecturer. Earnie has authored more than 55 books and 40 motivational self-help tapes on a variety of topics ranging from managing interpersonal relationships to spirituality. He is widely read and listened to and often quoted in 12-Step Groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Adult Children of Alcoholics. Earnie has been referred to as an authority in dealing with issues like co-dependency and dysfunctional behaviors. http://www.changeisachoice.com/
Dealing with Loss:
Separated, Divorced or Widowed Support Group: Our Christian Mission is to share the love and healing of God with those persons who have lost a significant love relationship through separation, divorce, or death. The group is open to persons of all faiths and persuasions. Our goal is to provide support by promoting acceptance of self and situation, by fostering personal and spiritual development and by challenging persons to develop a new life style and to move on to new growth. To achieve this end we provide opportunities for growth through a variety of sharing groups, educational videos and speakers. http://churchofsttimothy.com/index.cfm/pageid/45
GriefNet.Org: GriefNet.org is an Internet community of persons dealing with grief, death, and major loss. We have over 50 e-mail grief support groups and two web sites. Our integrated approach to on-line grief support provides help to people working through loss and grief issues of many kinds. Our companion site, KIDSAID.com, provides a safe environment for grieving kids and their parents to find information and ask questions. http://www.griefnet.org/
Intellectual Development:
LearningLife, College of Continuing Education, University of Minnesota Minneapolis & Saint Paul The University of Minnesota's diverse collection of lifelong learning opportunities features short courses, workshops, seminars, presentations by nationally and internationally renowned speakers, and other special events. Whether you want to pursue a passion for learning or navigate a life transition, LearningLife can help you build an experience that's right for you.
http://learninglife.umn.edu/
Purpose Project, Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota Minneapolis & Saint Paul University-based project that offers workshops to help people discover their passion in the second half of life. It also works on developing best practices in aging and retirement.
http://www.csh.umn.edu/programs/The_Purpose_Project/home.htm...
Road Scholar: Road Scholar, the not-for-profit leader in educational travel since 1975, offers more than 7,000 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Alongside local and renowned experts, experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, biking and more.
http://www.roadscholar.org/
Baby Boomer Café: Now in its 12th year, BoomerCafé is one of the most popular online magazines for baby boomers!! Unlike traditional magazines which predictably put out a brand new edition every week or every month, BoomerCafé is changing all the time. What this means is, you’ll usually find something new from the menu to read. http://www.boomercafe.com/
Spiritual Development (Christian Based)
Camp & Retreat Centers:
Christos Center for Spiritual Formation (Lino Lakes MN): Encouraging spiritual maturity through the historic Christian traditions of contemplative prayer, discernment, spiritual direction, silence, and solitude. Founded in 1978 as a retreat ministry, Christos' purpose has always been to remind the Church to, "Slow down and listen to God in the silence of your heart." Christos is an ecumenical ministry that serves people of all Christian denominations through spiritual direction, extended spiritual formation programs, workshops, retreats, and pilgrimages. Located on 50 acres of natural land, Christos is a safe place for people to enter the quiet and ponder the deeper questions of life through prayer and reflection. http://www.christoscenter.org/
Mount Carmel Ministries: (Alexandria, MN) Mount Carmel Summer Family Camp includes six weeks of family camp (for all ages), including Fine Arts Week, one Mini-Week family camp and four Elderversities, as well as other programs in 2011. Elderversity is a 'camp' designed for senior adults, held a week at a time at Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is a year-round destination for your retreat, conference or event. Daily Texts is a collection of Bible verses and prayers for each day of the year printed in book format. Walk Thru the Bible is a five hour seminar in your church, which explores either the Old or New Testament. http://www.mountcarmelministries.com/
Christ the King Retreat Center (Buffalo MN): King’s House, Christ the King Retreat Center is a Roman Catholic retreat center located in Buffalo, Minnesota. Our mission is to provide a place of welcome, peace, and support for people at all stages of their spiritual journey. In addition to prayer and retreat programs presented by our own staff, we are pleased to offer programs by noted guest speakers and facilitators. We also welcome non-profit groups in education and health care, as well as many churches and denominations. http://www.kingshouse.com/index2.htm
Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) Franciscan Center of Spirituality (St. Francis, MN) Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), is a Franciscan center of Spirituality called to serve the people of God through prayer and by providing the opportunity to retreat into the silence and solitude of a hermitage environment. The hermitages are nestled in the midst of the natural beauty of forest, prairie and a wildlife lake. Away from the struggles and influences of a secular society, the hermit/guest enters into the freedom of a “desert-like” environment, following Christ’s example where “he would often go off to someplace where he could be alone to pray.” http://www.paceminterris.org/
Dunrovin Christian Brothers Retreat Center (Marine on Saint Croix, MN) Located on 50 secluded acres in a national park, the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway on the St. Croix River, Dunrovin is a picturesque place to pray, relax, and energize. We believe that the peace of God's creation along with the warmth of our hospitable staff provides rest and renewed vision for a variety of rental groups. http://www.dunrovin.org/home/
Three Crosses Retreat Center (Canon Falls, MN) Our mission is to provide a Christian environment for spiritual growth in order to build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. http://threecrosses.org/home
Spiritual Educational Opportunities:
Upper Room Daily Reflections: Here at Upper Room Ministries, we say, “Every Day — Find a Way.” We invite you, every day, to find a way to spend some time with God in reading, prayer, and meditation. http://daily.upperroom.org/
Adult Lutherans Organized for Action (ALOA): ALOA is the only national inter-Lutheran organization focused on identifying and serving the needs and interests of Lutheran older adults, with a focus on working with and through congregations, districts, synods and other service ministry organizations to encourage senior ministry and senior involvement locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
http://www.aloaserves.org/index.php
Center on Aging and Older Adult Ministries: The vision of the Center on Aging & Older Adult Ministries is founded on the principle that ongoing faith development of midlife and older adults is critical for the transformation of the world. The Center on Aging & Older Adult Ministries will provide quality resources and valuable training support to help equip leaders (both clergy and laity) in their ministry of faith development with midlife and older adults. http://www.gbod.org/site/c.nhLRJ2PMKsG/b.3784737/k.7977/Older_Adult_Ministries.htm
Christianity Today: Initially focused on providing pastors with a strong energetic voice of evangelical leadership, CTI now serves the global church with resources designed to meet the needs of both Christian leaders and laity alike — adults, youth, and families. http://www.christianitytoday.com/
Renew International: RENEW International fosters spiritual renewal in the Catholic tradition by empowering individuals and communities to encounter God in everyday life, deepen and share faith, and connect faith with action. http://www.renewintl.org/
Mount Carmel Ministries: (Alexandria, MN) Mount Carmel Summer Family Camp includes six weeks of family camp (for all ages), including Fine Arts Week, one Mini-Week family camp and four Elderversities, as well as other programs in 2011. Elderversity is a 'camp' designed for senior adults, held a week at a time at Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is a year-round destination for your retreat, conference or event. Daily Texts is a collection of Bible verses and prayers for each day of the year printed in book format. Walk Thru the Bible is a five hour seminar in your church, which explores either the Old or New Testament. http://www.mountcarmelministries.com/
The Henri Nouwen Society: The purpose of the Henri Nouwen Society is to foster the spirituality of solitude, community and compassion that was embodied in the life and teaching of Henri Nouwen. The Society does this by: 1.Developing programs and resources that make the spiritual vision of Henri Nouwen widely available within the United States and Canada; 2.Creating opportunities for people from all walks of life to nurture and develop their spiritual life; 3.Creating a network of Society friends who support the work of the Society. http://www.henrinouwen.org/
Men's Ministry Resources: Men’s Ministry Catalyst is dedicated to helping churches pray, plan, and execute an effective men’s ministry that intentionally transforms men into the likeness of Christ. With consulting, best practices, training, relevant materials, and regional men’s events like Iron Sharpens Iron, we: Help churches connect and engage men in issues of faith, Assist men in churches to connect creatively with their communities, Provide resources for spiritual growth and outreach. http://www.mensministrycatalyst.org/
Creating Your Own “Bucket List”:
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