About Us
The Living at Home Network is a resource hub and advocate, an advisor on operations and a connector among all members.
In rural and urban communities across Minnesota, The Living at Home Programs are passionate about helping older adults maintain a healthy, safe, and independent life at home.
The first program began in St. Paul in 1981, as Living at Home/Block Nurse Programs, and the model quickly spread across the state. Each one of the 32 network programs was started by community residents who care deeply about aging well in the community. The programs raise funds from local individuals, businesses, events, and grants, and many receive state funding from the MN Department of Human Services.
Our Model
The Living at Home Network (LAHN) program model is rooted in work with elders, their caregivers, home health and senior-serving organizations, and Minnesota communities. Citizens come together to do the hard work and organizing needed for developing this local, volunteer-driven model.
LAHN programs share the following guiding principles. Each program:
- Is governed by neighborhood/community residents within geographic boundaries they define.
- Stimulates neighborly expressions of caring and friendship.
- Provides or arranges for quality comprehensive health, social and support services for elders.
- Provides services that meet the elder’s comprehensive needs over time. Service provision is based upon need rather than ability to pay.
- Emphasizes health promotion, early intervention and management of chronic conditions.
- Conducts ongoing and proactive outreach in the community.
- Learns best practices, shares knowledge and avoids duplication of efforts within available resources.
- Maximizes current funding and develops new private and public funding sources.
- Evaluates program effectiveness regularly and responds to changing community needs.
Our History
In 1981, the first Living At Home/Block Nurse Program was launched by community members in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul to address and change the disjointed nature of services available for elders. Community residents came together to discuss the needs of their senior neighbors and put in the work to develop a program model. The result was a unique non-profit program that coordinates community volunteers and health professionals to help older neighbors safely stay in their home.
Between 1981 and 1987 several Twin Cities area neighborhoods organized to start programs based on the program model, along with the first rural program in Atwater, Minnesota. Eventually, The Living at Home/Block Nurse Program, Inc. was established (in 1987) as a Minnesota 501(c)(3) organization to:
- Promote the LAH/BNP model’s concept, philosophy and values statewide
- Effect societal change that encourages and supports ongoing neighborhood-based health and long-term support for seniors.
With funding support from a number of local and national foundations, program replication materials were created and intensive work was done with interested communities across Minnesota to start new programs. In 2002, Living at Home/Block Nurse, Inc. adopted the new name Elderberry Institute to distinguish the nonprofit organization from the 30+ programs across Minnesota. In 2010, the programs did a restructuring and renaming of the organization to Living at Home Network, creating a streamlined resource and support center focused on the needs of current and future member programs statewide.
Staff and Board
Kristin Rigg, Executive Director, kristin@lahnetwork.org
Our Board of Directors includes representatives from around the state of Minnesota who are committed to seeing that all older adults in Minnesota have access to services that support a healthy and safe life at home:
Teisha Magee, Board Chair – St. Paul
Senior Program Supervisor, Keystone Community Services
Mike Schendel, Board Vice-Chair – Moorehead, MN
Northwest Regional Representative
Joe Christensen, Board Secretary – Holdingford, MN
Helping Hands Outreach Board Member
Mary Pat Ladner, Board Treasurer – St. Paul
At-Large community member
Sharon Bring – Strandquist, MN
County Commissioner, Marshall County
Deade Johnson – Two Harbors, MN
Community Partners Volunteer
Start a Program
The Living at Home Network is eager to help communities across Minnesota start a Living at Home Program in their community. See “Starting a Living at Home Network Program” a brief guide details the steps for starting a Living at Home Program in your community. After reading the guide, please contact us for assistance in establishing a program in your community. The Guide is on our Aging Resources page.
We are also interested in talking with small nonprofits that help older adults to see if it would be a good fit for them to join the Living at Home Network. After reading our Membership Perks please contact us if you are interested in exploring your program becoming a member of The Living at Home Network.
