All photos by Laura Durenberger-Grunow

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - July 2, 2024


Officials from Care Partners of Cook County, Cook County Public Health & Human Services, Cook County, MN, and community members gathered on June 25, 2024, to celebrate Cook County's acceptance as a member of the AARP and Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. The event included several speakers, a presentation of the certificate from AARP to Cook County, an opportunity to provide community feedback, and cake and other light refreshments. 

AARP established the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in April 2012 as an independent affiliate of the World Health Organization Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Jay Haapala, Associate State Director of Community Engagement at AARP, told attendees of the June 25 event that the main goal of the Network is to create communities that help and support people to live longer on their own. AARP helps guide members of the network through assessments, planning, implementation, and evaluation processes.

Since January 2023, Cook County Public Health and Human Services along with Care Partners of Cook County have been working together to make the county more age-friendly. Almost 1/3 of the Cook County population is 65 years or older according to 2020 census data, and that number is expected to increase. An Age-Friendly Needs Assessment was created and involved a community survey and forums, which helped provide insight across the nine AARP-defined domains of livability: 

• Civic Participation and Employment
• Health Services and Community Supports
• Communication and Information
• Transportation
• Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
• Housing
• Social Participation 
• Respect and Social Inclusion
• Disaster Preparedness

The "Age-Friendly Community Survey" was created and received responses from 240 people, most who fell between 65-84 years old. Nearly half of the survey respondents had lived in the area for over 20 years and held a strong connection to the area. People were asked to answer questions surrounding the domains of livability including what things they love about the area, what they want to preserve, and to identify gaps. Andrea Tofte, Public Health Educator, shared that the survey results provided helpful data. 

Additionally, 10 community listening sessions were held across Cook County, including in Grand Portage, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail, Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, and virtually via Zoom. Almost 100 people attended the listening sessions. Julie Wilson, Executive Director of Care Partners of Cook County, shared that one noticeable thing to come out of the sessions was that not only do people hold a strong sense of place, but the communities within Cook County have different needs. However, 2-3 areas of focus stood out as a commonality among all areas, which were health services and community support, transportation (especially when it comes to health care appointments), and housing. Tofte added that health services and community support were identified in groups as an asset but also as an area of focus, particularly for specialized healthcare needs. 

At the April 16 meeting, the Cook County Public Health and Human Services Board voted unanimously to join the Age-Friendly Communities Network. Grace Grinager, Cook County Public Health Supervisor, said, "This doesn't mean that we're completely age-friendly. It means that we are committed to considering policies, programs, and other initiatives that benefit older adults", which ultimately benefit the community as a whole. 

In 2019, the State of Minnesota became committed to the Age-Friendly Initiative, and has invested $2.9 million in grants to help make the state a better place to grow older. In 2023, Cook County received one of the grants to better understand the needs and experiences of aging in our communities. Age Friendly Minnesota has provided a grant extension to develop collaborative strategies that address issues we’ve identified through the forums and surveys.

Cook County joins 24 other Minnesota communities (both rural and urban) committed to becoming more age-friendly.

To learn more about Age-Friendly Cook County, visit the Care Partners website here.

 Alison McIntyre, Public Health and Human Services Director, accepted the award on behalf of Dave Mills, who was in a Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting. 

 Julie Wilson, Executive Director of Care Partners of Cook County, spoke during the celebration event. 

 Andrea Tofte, Public Health Educator, shared results from the community survey and listening sessions. 

 Grace Grinager, Public Health Supervisor, talked about joining the Age-Friendly Network and what it means for Cook County.