Owatonna Healthy Seniors Program

Please accept Owatonna Healthy Seniors Program DBA Healthy Seniors of Steele County’s request for donations for Give to The Max Day. The mission of Healthy Seniors of Steele County is to help keep seniors 65 and older in need and support their caregivers so they may live healthy, safe and independent in their own homes, to prolong the length of spending down into Medical Assistance and, to divert nursing home placements. In 2023, HSSC staff and 239 volunteers served 1,581 clients, provided 4,569 hours of service, coordinated 11,748 units of service, and diverted 428 months of nursing home placements.

Based upon 2024 Steele County census data, population estimates 37,413 of which 18.4% of the residents of Steele County are 65 and older, approximately 6,889 residents. The fastest growing segment of Minnesota’s aging population are those people over the age of 85, who are most likely to need the support of family, friends, and the community to remain living independently. With help and support when they have a problem, knowing what resources are available, matching them up with a volunteer that enjoys doing things they do, the volunteer can be their "go to" person. They have someone to accompany and take them to the doctor, to get groceries, review paperwork, help with things as needed; relieving the burden of caregiving, and in many cases, as the friendships develops, expanding into the caregiver role. 

Capacity building and the ability of HSSC to provide personalized services to seniors, addressing their specific health needs, directly link to the budget, which supports the advancement of health equity. The primary demographic served are seniors, mostly widowed individuals aged 86 and above, living alone in their homes and earning below 200% of the poverty level. This group often lacks paid services due to limited income. HSSC serves a diverse clientele, including white, black, Hispanic, mixed, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and other marginalized groups. The staff discovers that one in every three seniors they intake is living with or diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease. Conditions like Parkinson’s disease, age-related issues, and a lack of support systems significantly affect seniors' ability to live safely at home, causing considerable stress for caregivers. Services offered include in-home respite care, senior companionship to combat isolation, transportation for various appointments, assistance during medical visits, and fall prevention in-home exercise programming and stress reduction. These services depend on the availability of volunteers and staff hours. HSSC operates on a contribution basis and does not restrict services based on the clients' ability to pay.

The HSSC office, located at West Hills Social Commons (previously known as Senior Place), acts as a comprehensive hub for senior services. We collaborate on-site and promote programming for seniors. HSSC also highlights other senior service providers, such as SEMCAC, Steele County Public Health, MN Prairie County Alliance, and Park and Recreation Senior programming in our newsletters to broaden their reach and minimize costs. 

Approximately eighty five percent of our programming is specific to health-related programming. HSSC's health-related programming empower older adults to maintain independence and quality of life by providing a support system. This is crucial for seniors without nearby caregivers, as our staff and volunteers often form meaningful connections, stepping into caregiving roles. Our clients face diverse challenges related to age, health, support levels, and limited fixed incomes. HSSC staff are in their homes, assessing needs and coordinating services to alleviate stress and provide support that many seniors lack the resources to obtain. 

Client & Caregiver Testimonials

Cathy was looking for a volunteer opportunity after she retired. Healthy Seniors of Steele County matched her as a senior companion with Dorothy, who is ninety-four years young living independently in her own home. Through our in-home needs assessment, we determined Dorothy could use companionship as she was isolated and very lonely and her son who lives in town asked for help with his mom. We matched Cathy as a Senior Companion. She started visiting once a week and their friendship blossomed to a couple of times a week for several hours with running errands and going to doctor appointments, and other requests that were needed. Cathy had lost her mom several years back so this Senior Companion match has developed where she calls Dorothy her mom and cares for her as if she would her mom and our senior views her as her “Angel”. Dorothy’s son is very grateful to Cathy for the close friendship she has developed with his mom and the help she has provided. Cathy has provided hundreds of volunteer hours throughout the year as a Senior Companion for Dorothy.