START Senior Solutions

Our mission

As a faith-in-action non-profit, we renew hope for seniors and caregivers, strengthen families and make our communities better places to live. Through planning, advocacy and education, we help older adults manage and resolve ongoing crises and empower them to reduce the risk of future crises. We support our clients for as long as they need us and treat them with compassion every step of the way.

Our urgency

As we age, managing our health, medical costs and basic needs can become more difficult. A single crisis, such as a fall or a diagnosis of dementia, can lead to life-changing decisions that are stressful and complex.

Nearly a million Minnesotans are age 65 and over. In 2015, about 20 percent lived alone. Today, 18,000 Minnesota dementia patients live alone.* Many older adults and their caregivers have nowhere to turn for help overcoming the challenges of aging and catastrophic events. * Alzheimer's Association, Minnesota Department of Health

Our work

START has served more than 7,000 clients and put over $1 million in benefits in the hands of struggling seniors. We are a recent recipient of Community Partner Award from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and continue supporting aging research as a member of the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation team.

In addition to our work with seniors and caregivers, our team has devoted years working to solve the systemic problems that lead to the gaps in care and services we help bridge. Team members have served on the Minnesota Board of Aging, the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, the Long-Term Care ReThink Tank and in direct care.