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Public health updates Communities for a Lifetime work, fall‑prevention and rideshare training pilots
Summary
Public Health presented updates on age‑friendly efforts including a falls‑prevention outreach working with fire departments, rideshare trainings for older adults, West St. Paul age‑friendly work and resource kiosks placed across the county.
Public Health staff updated the Dakota County Board on Feb. 18 about Communities for a Lifetime work — county efforts to make communities easier to navigate and safer for older residents and others with mobility needs.
Jess Luce, public health, described a falls‑prevention program launched in 2020 with South Metro Fire and later expanded to Burnsville and Eagan. Luce said that during five months of 2024 the partnership produced 61 referrals from the three participating fire departments; staff reached nearly 40 people and 11 clients received ongoing follow‑up to connect them with services such as home modifications, transportation assistance and care‑coordination. Luce noted that many referrals involved older adults with multiple chronic conditions and repeated falls.
Public Health also reported on rideshare trainings: more than 100 residents attended three sessions in 2024, where attendees learned to use Lyft and Uber; the county offered temporary $50 Lyft credits to encourage trial. Other initiatives include work to secure an AARP age‑friendly designation for West St. Paul (a 2023 community survey drew more than 200 respondents), a pilot to provide dementia visiting kits through libraries (with plans to expand kits into other languages) and placement of roughly 55+ resource kiosks to reach residents without internet access.
Luce described additional volunteer‑led projects (decluttering/downsizing presentations, condominium association outreach) and said Communities for a Lifetime continues to pursue grants, AmeriCorps support and interns to expand programming. “Most people want to age in place,” Luce told the board, summarizing the initiative’s aim to keep residents connected and safe in their communities.
Commissioners thanked staff and asked questions about transit, comp plan alignment and program partnerships; staff said they will continue outreach to cities and partners as projects proceed.
