Winona Senior Advocates

The advocates are located at 207 Lafayette St (City Hall) on the lower level in the Parks and Recreation Department.


Mission

Our mission is to help older citizens remain independent in their homes.

About

The Senior Advocacy Program offers information, referral and assistance to all individuals in Winona County age 60 and better who live independently in our community.

This is a free and confidential service.

No one will be refused access to the service because of race, religion, color, sex, economic status or disability.

The Senior Advocacy Program will make every attempt to provide adequate staff and/or equipment to ensure program accessibility to disabled individuals.

Services

The Senior Advocacy Program provides:

  • Educational Programs
  • Home Visits
  • Information and Referral
  • Medicare Assistance
  • Supportive Services in:
    • Housing
    • Application for Benefits
    • Advance Directive for Health Care Preparation
    • Notary Services
    • Health Insurance Counseling
    • Money Management

The Senior Advocates assist individuals with:

  • Energy Assistance Application
  • Forms for property tax rebate or renter’s rebate
  • Free cell phone or telephone discount
  • Health Insurance counseling
  • Housing Applications
  • Prescription assistance programs
  • Winona County Human Services application for services

The Senior Advocates make connections with other services available in our community:

  • Companionship
  • In home health and chore services
  • Legal services
  • Nutrition services
  • Transportation options

Support Programs

  • The Winona Dementia Friendly Community (Winona DFC) is working to create a safe and supportive community for persons with memory loss, care partners, and families through programs including:
    • A weekly Memory Cafe
    • The Forget Me Notes Chorus, our dementia-friendly choir
    • Dementia Friends Informational Sessions
  • Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH) is a program to help care partners of persons living with dementia. REACH helps care partners with their current caregiving situations in ways that will make a positive difference for them and the care receivers. REACH can help the care partner with practical skills of problem-solving, managing feelings and emotions, and stress management.
  • PEARLS, The Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives empowers people by teaching problem-solving skills to increase positive interactions and improve quality of life. It is a community-based treatment program for older adults that involve eight customized one-on-one sessions with a PEARLS counselor. Sessions can be in person, over the phone, or at home. Participants learn how to problem-solve and change behaviors to support well-being.

Friendships Forever

For the past eight years, we have been running a program for older adults who can no longer come to the Center because of declining health or lack of transportation. Technology in hand, a volunteer goes to the person’s home. The volunteer and the older adult participants in a program simultaneously with members at the Center using Zoom technology. Friendships Forever combat social isolation and loneliness and increase social engagement. 

Staff

  • Director: Laura Hoberg
  • Senior Advocate: Lori Paulson
  • Senior Advocate: Marite’ Olmstead