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Northwoods Partners Services

Our Services Include:

  • Friendly Visits:

    Staying active and socially engaged is a key element in staying healthy and aging well.  A simple walk in the park with a companion, stories, and a laugh with a new friend, or sharing a hobby that you haven't done in years is a wonderful way to spend a day.  We coordinate volunteer visits for area older adults who are homebound or alone and want or need contact with the greater community.

  • Transportation:

    Transportation is a large obstacle for older adults wishing to be independent.  Without groceries, rides to medical appointments, or the ability to attend a local event, older adults are less likely to thrive and remain in their homes.  

    • Our Local Transportation program is a volunteer-supported program that provides rides to and from local services, including running errands such as shopping, banking, haircuts, and local medical appointments.  Volunteers can also provide transportation to meetings, social events, and religious services.
    • Long-Distance Rides are specifically provided for Medical Appointments.  Using our network of volunteer drivers, we are able to help area older adults get to out of town medical appointments that are essential to maintaining their health and independence.  This service is especially important in northern Minnesota, where residents must travel long distances to receive the specialty care they require. Volunteer drivers ensure that the older adult is safely escorted from their home to the appointment and back home again.  Volunteer long-distance drivers are reimbursed by NP and clients are asked to make a donation to NP to help us to sustain our programs.
    • Grocery Delivery is available for those who find it difficult or unsafe to navigate our local grocery stores.  Simply set up a store charge account with Zup’s and our friendly volunteers will deliver your groceries right to your home.  Groceries are delivered on Wednesdays between noon and 4 pm.
  • Exercise Buddy Program:

    Let's face it, it's much more fun exercising with a workout buddy.  A trained volunteer will meet with you weekly in your home to help increase your strength, flexibility, and balance.  You and your buddy will build a new friendship, laugh together, and encourage each other along the way. 

  • Community Exercise Group:

    Participants are led through a full-body exercise routine that includes both seated and standing exercises.  The program is designed give participants a safe and effective workout that will allow them to increase and maintain their flexibility, stability, and movement.  Meets every Thursday from 10:30-11:30 in the basement of First Lutheran Church.

  • Men's Memories & Movement Group:

    We share our memories, our stories, and our life experiences over coffee & snacks and conclude each session with movement, light exercises to keep you active and help increase balance, range of motion, and strength.  Meets every Wednesday from 10:30-11:30 at the Ely Senior Center.

  • Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance:

    This is a research-based balance training regimen designed for older adults and people with balance disorders.  TJQMBB is a 12-week progressive learning course where participants learn an adapted 8 form Tai Chi routine that is intended to address common and potentially debilitating movement and balance issues.  This workshop is offered through Juniper; a statewide network of evidence-based programs that helps people manage chronic conditions, prevent falls, and foster wellbeing. CLICK HERE to register for one of our upcoming sessions.

  • Caregiver Consulting:

    Our professionally trained Caregiver Consultant can provide family caregivers with useful information, skills, and tools, as well as help with problem-solving.  The consultant's role includes developing strategies for the caregiver to achieve a balanced lifestyle that allows for both providing care and maintaining their own health.  The consultant will help identify the caregiver's strengths and needs, develop a personalized caregiving plan with goals.  Along the way, they offer problem-solving, coaching, and ongoing support to help the caregiver reach their goals.

  • Northwoods Memory Care Program:

    We help guide you and your family through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia by providing resources and consultation to help reduce stress and increase family support.

  • Caregiver Support Groups:

    Caregiving is a tough and isolating experience.  Caregiver support groups provide an opportunity to connect with others that are in similar situations.  Support group members validate each other’s experiences.  These groups are a great place to ask for advice, find out about useful resources, and safely vent your frustrations.  Nobody will judge you, because everyone there is going through many of the same struggles.  It’s a safe place to share your feelings and get the support you need.  You are not alone!  Caregiver Support Group meets: 3rd Tuesday of the Month, 10-11:00 am at the Ely Area Community HUB.

  • Aging Mastery Program (AMP):

    Aging Mastery Program is a fun and engaging education and behavior change incentive program for aging well. The AMP core curriculum covers 10 topics. The classroom experience is a mix of didactic and interactive learning with an emphasis on peer-to-peer interaction. When they graduate from AMP, participants have set goals for positive actions in many aspects of their lives such as exercise, nutrition, finances, advance care planning, community engagement, and healthy relationships.

  • Powerful Tools For Caregivers:

    An evidence-based educational series designed to help unpaid family caregivers take better care of themselves while caring for a relative or family friend.  In the six weekly classes, caregivers learn self-care tools to:  Reduce Stress, Improve Self-Confidence, Manage Time, Set Goals, Solve Problems, Better Communicate their Feelings, Locate Helpful Resources, and Make Tough Decisions.

  • SAIL:

    Stay Active and Independent for Life! The SAIL exercise class is a strength, balance, and fitness program for community dwelling older adults that meets two to three times per work for one hour. Performing exercises that improve strength, balance, and fitness is the single most important activity adults can do to stay active and reduce their chances of falling. The entire curriculum of activities in the SAIL program can help improve strength and balance, if done regularly.

  • ACT on Alzheimer’s:

    Working together to make Ely a Dementia Friendly Community.  The Ely ACT Team has recognized that Community Education needs to be a high priority.  We continue to bring Dementia Education to Ely in the form of newspaper articles, books, handouts, speakers, and a community conversation series.  Check our calendar for upcoming educational opportunities.

  • REACH:

    Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) is an evidence-based caregiver consultation service.  This program works one-on-one with caregivers to assess risk, assist with problem solving, provide skill-building techniques, manage behavior changes and find time for themselves. 

  • Caregiver Relief:

    We coordinate volunteer help for the person who cares for a chronically ill home-bound loved one.  This allows the caregiver time to rest, relax, and attend to other tasks.  The home-bound person is given an opportunity to socialize with others and this can reduce feelings of helplessness and guilt of being a burden to their family or spouse. This volunteer service is limited to a few hours per week.

  • Volunteer Training:

    Volunteers are the heart of our organization.  All new volunteers receive a one-hour face-to-face orientation that explains our history, services, programs, policies, and procedures.  Additional training may be provided to carry out specific services.  Every quarter, we offer a themed Volunteer In-Service Social that provides an opportunity for socializing with other volunteers and continuing education on volunteering.

  • Tasty Tuesday:

    Join us to learn about healthy recipes, food preparation, and more!  Availability is limited. Class is typically the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 2 - 3:30 pm. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information and to register.

  • Healthy Aging Expo:

    Our Annual Healthy Aging Expo is an event dedicated to Older Adults’ Healthy Lifestyles, Education, and Caregiver Support.  The expo is a way for businesses and organizations to promote their resources and services which support seniors’ healthy living or for families and patients living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia related disorders.  The Expo features expert speakers on a wide range of topics of interest to anyone who is aging.  CLICK HERE to view the lineup and speakers from our 2022 Expo.