Caregiver Experiences
November 18, 2021, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm via Zoom Webinar
Aligned with National Caregiver Appreciation Month, the NDIA Series November event focuses on caregivers. This event showcased the strengths, challenges, and diversity of caregivers in the Northland. Two Northland community members, Janet Kennedy and Dawn LaPrairie, spoke to how diversity has played a role in their caregiving experience. Rajean Moone, PhD, LNHA, LALD, FGSA of the University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing and Professional Studies, Center for Healthy Aging & Innovation, provided the keynote address on why diversity matters in the caregiving realm.
Presenters:
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He | His | Him Faculty Director – LTC Administration | College of Continuing & Professional Studies Associate Director of Education – Center for Healthy Aging & Innovation | School of Public Health
Rajean’s professional career is dedicated to eliminating ageism and working on age-friendly initiatives that support the inclusion of older adults in society. As a child of the Arrowhead, Rajean was born in International Falls and graduated from The College of Saint Scholastica. In the past Rajean worked with the state unit on aging and area agencies on aging including Arrowhead. He aided in the founding of Training to Serve, the Minnesota Diverse Elders Coalition, and Finish Strong Funders Network for Aging Services. Academically, Rajean holds a BA in Psychology, a MS degree in Gerontology, a PhD in Social Work, and a MN nursing home administrator’s license and assisted living director license. Rajean joined academia full time in 2018 in a position spread across the University of Minnesota campus with roles in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, Center for Healthy Aging & Innovation, and MN Northstar GWEP. Rajean is appointed to the Faculty Senate and Governor’s Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota. He serves on the board of the MN Association of Geriatrics Inspired Clinicians and FamilyMeans. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a lifetime member of the Minnesota Gerontological Society, Hartford Fellow, McNair Scholar and a Health and Aging Policy Fellow.
To learn more about Rajean’s work, visit his University of Minnesota information page.
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Dawn LaPrairie was born and raised on the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation in Carlton and St. Louis Counties in MN. Dawn is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She remained on the reservation until her late 20’s when she moved to St Paul, MN, and began teaching at the Red School House and the Saint Paul Independent School District.
Dawn returned to the Fon du Lac Indian Reservation and became involved with the Women’s Coalition, where she helped women experiencing domestic violence navigate the court systems. She worked at Dabinoo’Igan Shelter – the first Native shelter in the Duluth area. After receiving her Master’s degree in education, Dawn served as a teacher at the Chegwin elementary school and middle school on the Fon du Lac Indian Reservation. Currently, Dawn serves as an educator at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe Schools. The Ojibwe Schools are committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment based on Anishinaabe values and traditions.
Dawn identifies herself first as a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and aunt- and second as a teacher. Dawn’s experience as a caregiver began when she worked alongside her mother caring for her 23-year-old brother who suffered from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He was injured in a hit-and-run at the start of his promising career in the medical field and was left with a TBI and required extra care. Throughout Dawn’s life, she has served as a caregiver for many family members, as well as the official guardian of her young grandson. Dawn continues to serve as a dedicated caregiver for her family members and community.
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Janet is a mother, grandmother, and primary caregiver for her mother, Annie, living with dementia. Janet has been living with Annie for the past 3 years in West Duluth. Both Annie and Janet were born in Columbus, Mississippi moving to the Duluth/Superior area in the early 60’s as a military family with the Duluth Air Force base. As a young girl, Annie’s family worked as sharecroppers when she was growing up in Columbus, Mississippi. Janet’s servant leadership includes being elected in 2019 as the first African American woman to ever serve on the Duluth City Council.
She currently works with the Arrowhead Parish Nurse Association as the St Mark AME Church Parish Community Health Coordinator. She is the founder and Executive Director of Healthy Alliances Matter for All DBA Health Equity Northland, directing and implementing community response and recovery strategies for COVID-19, as well as health access and health literacy for communities of focus that are currently underserved, facing decreased life expectancies based on their social determinants of health factors. She worked in the medical profession of Physical Therapy for over 25 years from outpatient physical therapy, in-patient acute care to home-care services as a Physical Therapy Assistant, Director of Rehabilitation, and Program Director for PT, OT, and Speech. Before COVID-19 she had the opportunity to work with Veterans doing in-home respite care.
To learn more about Janet, visit her City Councilor bio page.
Moderators:
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Michelle (Mimi) Stender is the Founder and President of Duluth Aging Support- an innovative non-profit organization that provides valuable resources for older adults and caregivers in the Northland communities. The mission of Duluth Aging Support is to significantly enhance the lives of older adults and caregivers in the Northland through resources, outreach, awareness, advocacy, and collaborative partnerships. Mimi Stender is a long-time Duluth, MN resident and graduate of Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO. She is currently completing her master’s degree in Aging Studies through Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
Mimi Stender brings extensive community development and leadership expertise in the following roles: The College of St. Scholastica, Board of Trustees; Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer, Caregiver Support Group Facilitator for two groups; Victory Chorus Advisory Board; Duluth Transit Authority, Community Action Duluth Board of Directors, Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer, and Community Action Duluth Circles of Support program volunteer; Duluth Area Family YMCA board of directors, and YMCA Community Services Branch advisory board member; and Miller Dwan Foundation, Van Gorden Committee member.
Mimi Stender and a leadership team through Dementia Friendly Duluth founded the Victory Chorus- a structured formal chorus comprised of people living with dementia singing alongside volunteer singers. In addition, Mimi served as the Director of Dementia Friendly Duluth, a community initiative launched through the Victory Fund. Mimi’s community leadership work has also been devoted to health promotion at the policy, systems, and community level. Mimi has served as the Executive Director of Fit City Duluth, co-creator of the Healthy Duluth Area Coalition, and a Duluth local Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) Coordinator. Mimi is passionate about bringing together organizations and individuals with a shared mission to build community and enhance the quality of life for older adults and caregivers in the Northland communities.
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Dr. Amy Bergstrom is the Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Professor at The College of St Scholastica where she oversees the college’s Inclusive Excellence strategic plan. As Chief Diversity Officer, Amy Bergstrom is responsible for leading the College of Saint Scholastica’s diversity and inclusion efforts and achieving inclusive excellence goals in close collaboration with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and the Human Resources office. She previously served as the College’s Masters of Education program director. Amy has both K-12 and higher education teaching and leadership experience. Amy serves as a board member on the Domestic Abuse Interventions Program and the Ann Bancroft Foundation. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth, a Masters degree from Harvard University and her doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
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Georgia Lane is a Senior Program Developer with the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging based in Duluth, MN. Ms. Lane completed her BA in Sociology from the College of St. Benedict, and MA in Social Work from the University of Minnesota with a focus on Program Development and Nonprofit Administration.
She has worked in the aging field in a variety of capacities, including Geriatric Care Management, supporting development of a mobile primary care clinic and care coordination services with Presbyterian Homes and Services, and leading community coalitions related to dementia friendly communities, healthy aging networks, and age friendly communities. In her current role with the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging, she supports a network of aging service organizations that provide services to help older adults to age well at home, in the community of their choice. She is leading regional efforts to support organizations in adopting age-friendly policies and practices and providing assistance for coalitions to join a global network of Age Friendly Communities.
As Chair of the Board for Spirit of the Lake Community School, she is working to develop and implement intergenerational programming for school and broader community. She is passionate about fostering collaboration and strengthening networks among community organizations, public health, health systems, and older adults.
sponsors:
The Northland Diversity in Aging Series is a collaboration of The College of Saint Scholastica’s Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and the Gerontology Program, Duluth Aging Support, Northland Foundation, and the Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging. The purpose is to foster conversations and promote learning about the aging and caregiving experience across generations and cultures.