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  Free robot available to Dunn County older adults

Older Dunn County adults now can sign up for a free “companion robot” from the county Aging and Disability Resource Center through a one-year pilot project. 

"This initiative is part of a broader effort of the ADRC of Dunn County to enhance social connection, promote independence and improve the well-being of elderly individuals aging in place,” said Tracy Fischer, Dunn County ADRC manager. 

The robot, ElliQ, is powered by artificial intelligence and is in thousands of older adults’ homes across the nation, Fischer said.  It was created to support older adults through daily check-ins, wellness guidance, social engagement and access to services. 

ElliQ, created by Intuition Robotics, can engage older adults in meaningful conversations, offer reminders for medications and appointments, suggest wellness activities, and provide companionship through interactive dialogue. Unlike other smart technologies that react to commands, ElliQ initiates interactions and builds personalized context to enhance engagement. 

According to an Associated Press story on the device:
“The device, which looks like a small table lamp, has an eyeless, mouthless head that lights up and swivels. It remembers each user’s interests and their conversations, helping tailor future chats, which can be as deep as the meaning of life or as light as the horoscope.  

“ElliQ tells jokes, plays music and provides inspirational quotes. On an accompanying video screen, it provides tours of cities and museums. The device leads exercises, asks about the owner’s health and gives reminders to take medications and drink water. It can also host video calls and contact relatives, friends or doctors in an emergency.” 

Fischer said that 95 percent of ElliQ users reported decreased loneliness, and 75 percent reported that ElliQ helped them feel more socially connected. 

“Dunn County is proud to offer cutting-edge technology like ElliQ to the older residents of Wisconsin,” Fischer said. “By providing this AI companion, we are giving older adults a resource to maintain their independence, stay socially connected and enhance their overall well-being.” 

A 2023 advisory issued by the Surgeon General underscored the dangers of social isolation, linking loneliness to severe health risks, including cognitive decline and increased healthcare costs. 

This Aging and Disability Resource Center of Dunn County program is available through a grant from the Inclusa Foundation. Participants in the pilot project will receive an ElliQ device as well as the monthly subscription fees for one year for the ElliQ program service. 

If the participants like the device and service, they can keep the device and pay for the monthly subscription fee on their own after the one-year pilot ends.  Participants need to complete quarterly surveys regarding their experiences with ElliQ during the pilot project period. 

Participants have to be at least 60 years old, live alone and have an internet connection.  ElliQ is available only in English. 

To participate, call coordinator Mary Linberg with the Dunn County ADRC at (715) 231-2727.  More information about ElliQ can be found at ElliQ.com 
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  Community Invited to Help Shape Health Plan for Dunn County

Community members are invited to attend a meeting in early December to discuss the results of the 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment and help plan next steps.
 
KT Gallagher, Director of the Dunn County Health Department, explained, "Every three years, we work with our partners to survey the community and find out what the biggest health issues are that need attention.
 
This year's results highlighted the following health priorities for Dunn County residents: access to childcare, water pollution and environmental concerns, access to healthcare, alcohol misuse, and access to safe and affordable housing. The full report can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/3vpjxwmf
 
To address these issues, the Health Department and Health Dunn Right, a community health coalition, will hold a kick-off meeting on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at the Rassbach Museum, 1820 John Russell Road, Menomonie. The meeting will discuss the report and plans for future action. To attend and get a free boxed lunch, please register by November 27 by filling out this online form.
 
Gallagher said the Health Department encourages everyone in Dunn County who cares about these issues to come to share their ideas.
"We need the community's help to come up with solutions that make sense for Dunn County," Gallagher said. "Your life experience may be exactly what we need to help solve these issues."
 
Guest speakers at the event include Steven McCarthy, Executive Director of the United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys, and Dr. Corrie Norrbom from the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service. Speakers will discuss the survey results, next steps, and how the community can work together to take action.
 
There will also be small discussion groups at the meeting to talk about the different health priorities, where participants can help set goals for action.
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Free Dunn County Well Water Testing - Testing Starts in July

 Dunn County Offers Free Well Water Testing

 
Dunn County is offering free well water testing this summer, and officials hope to test 300 wells.
Heather Wood, Dunn County water resources specialist, said the testing “is open to anyone with a well within Dunn County, and there is no cost to participants.”
 
The testing will be conducted by the Dunn County Health Department, and the tests will look for nitrates.
 
This will be the third year in a row that the county has offered this free service for well owners. A massive effort in 2023 sampled 995 wells in total, with 973 private wells and 22 wells representing town halls included. A follow up program last year tested 263 wells.
The regular testing is helping the county establish water quality data for the county as a whole. The Dunn County Well Water Quality Map is available on the Dunn County website. The map does not identify participants or individual well tests but instead shows general trends down to the section level.
 
"We are getting a much clearer picture of where we have groundwater issues and where we don't," Wood said. "We appreciate well owners getting their water tested."
 
High nitrates, for example, tend to be concentrated in the southeastern corner of the county, Wood said, which isn't surprising given the sandy soils in the areas with higher nitrate concentrations. Nitrates often result from agricultural runoff, septic systems and fertilizers.
 
Each well owner who participated will receive a letter from the county Land and Water Conservation Division, explaining the results and what resources are available if there is contamination that needs to be mitigated. Dunn County cannot mandate or fund private water treatment systems or the replacement of any wells that have high test results through this program, Wood said.
 
Those who wish to participate in the 2025 program can sign up at https://dunncountywi.seamlessdocs.com/f/groundwatertest or contact Wood directly at (715) 231-6532 or email hwood@dunncountywi.gov
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 Give Big Valleys fundraiser comes to Dunn and Pepin counties

Nonprofit organizations in Dunn and Pepin counties have been added to a major fundraising effort by the United Way of the St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys: Give Big Valleys, which takes place Tuesday, April 29.
 
Steve McCarthy, Executive Director of the United Way of the St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys, said Give Big Valleys is a 24-hour intensive fundraising effort that his organization sponsors and gives all 501(c)(3) organizations the tools needed to connect with donors during that period.
 
In July 2024, United Way St. Croix Valley merged with the Dunn County United Way to form United Way St. Croix and Red Cedar Valleys, encompassing the counties of Burnett, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix. McCarthy said the United Way has sponsored a one-day fundraising event for about a decade, but it was rebranded as Give Big Valleys this year after Dunn and Pepin counties joined the organization.
 
“United Way provides the platform, marketing tools and exposure for the nonprofit organization to run their own fundraising campaigns,” said Sarah Weiske, United Way Director of Development. “We try to make it easy for the nonprofits to participate.”
 
McCarthy and Weiske said it is important for all nonprofit organizations in Dunn and Pepin counties to sign up to participate in Give Big Valleys. Nonprofits can sign up at https://www.givebigvalleys.org/
 
“This is a great strategy for the nonprofits to reach their donors and give them an opportunity to raise awareness of their existence, mission and impact,” McCarthy said. “We encourage all types of nonprofits to join us in Give Big Valleys.”
Nonprofits that sign up for Give Big Valleys can use the fundraising resources on the United Way site “all year around to run fundraising campaigns” because many nonprofits can’t afford their own fundraising platforms, Weiske said. Nonprofits also are encouraged to seek matching dollars.
 
McCarthy said the goal is to have 125 nonprofit organizations participate, which would be 35 more than last year. The effort raised $500,000 last year, which is split among participants according to their fundraising efforts.
 
“In one day, that is a remarkable amount for our area,” McCarthy said. “We hope to exceed that this year.”
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