A Salute to Ecumen's Generous Volunteers
Our deepest appreciation to the hundreds of volunteers who help out at Ecumen sites, selflessly giving their time, energy and expertise to make life better for our residents.
Meet Ecumen’s Devan Luth — A Proud Young Cobber Who’s Changing Aging
Devan Luth signed on as a Development Specialist in the Ecumen Philanthropy Department last year shortly after she graduated from Concordia College — home of the “Cobbers.”
She’s a Cobber through and through and used her alumni connections to find a mentor and a career path that eventually led her to Ecumen. She took initiative, seize opportunity and is already making a big difference raising money to help make lives better for older adults.
Concordia is very proud of her, as are we at Ecumen. Read Concordia’s blog post that tells about Devan’s journey from college to career.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Elaine Altstatt
Ecumen honors Elaine Altstatt, a resident of Ecumen Centennial House, who is 100.
Honoring the Memory of Legendary Coach ‘Soup’ Stromme, a Resident at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth
Coach Graydon “Soup” Stromme died peacefully at his home at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth last week at the age of 91.
Top 5 Blog Posts — April 11, 2016
Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:
Ecumen Awakenings Educational Sessions Planned in North Dakota for Families Dealing with Dementia
Free educational sessions and luncheons for caregivers of people with dementia will be held April 25, 2016, in Mott, ND, and April 26, 2016 in Wishek, ND.
How To Start Designing Your Life for Aging — No Matter What Your Age
It’s never too soon to design your life for aging, says architect Matthias Hollwich. And he’s not just talking about designing space.
The Pirates of Prairie Lodge Set Sail on a Journey of Dramatic Fun and Adventure
Ecumen Prairie Lodge is experimenting with a drama program that helps residents with dementia put on a play.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday John Scanlan
Ecumen honors John Scanlan, a resident of Ecumen Lakeview Commons, who is 100.
Sales Office Now Open for Zvago Glen Lake Co-op in Minnetonka
Zvago Glen Lake Cooperative, a new senior housing co-op planned for the north shore of Glen Lake in Minnetonka, has opened a sales office and showroom in walking distance from the site.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
The Pirates of Prairie Lodge Set Sail on a Journey of Dramatic Fun and Adventure
Ecumen Prairie Lodge is experimenting with a drama program that helps residents with dementia put on a play.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday John Scanlan
Ecumen honors John Scanlan, a resident of Ecumen Lakeview Commons, who is 100.
Ecumen Awakenings Educational Sessions Planned in North Dakota for Families Dealing with Dementia
Free educational sessions and luncheons for caregivers of people with dementia will be held April 25, 2016, in Mott, ND, and April 26, 2016 in Wishek, ND.
The Mott session will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 315 Brown Avenue, in Mott from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 25. The Wishek session will be held at the Wishek Living Center, 400 South 4th Street, in Wishek from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 26.
“We want to give people the resources they need to keep their loved ones safe and in the home for as long as possible,” said Judy Blaseg, Ecumen Executive Vice President of Philanthropy. “The vast majority of people with dementia live at home — not in senior care communities.”
Caregivers will receive training in techniques for safely and compassionately dealing with dementia-related behaviors and helping their loved ones stay active and engaged. Both family and professional caregivers are encouraged to attend.
Registration for the free session is required by April 18. To sign up go to www.ecumenawakenings.org or call 651-766-4345.
The session will be led by Maria Reyes, RN, a nationally known dementia care expert who is the Project Director of Ecumen Awakenings. A sought-after speaker on nursing and dementia care, Reyes has worked across all long-term care settings (nursing homes, assisted living and home care) and held several key leadership roles at Ecumen, including serving as a Director of Nursing for a major care center, establishing a new short-term rehabilitation center, and helping launch an Ecumen home care agency as Clinical Director.
Spouses, adult children and professional caregivers are invited to attend one or all of the session segments. Following is the day’s agenda:
9 a.m. Understanding Alzheimer’s
10:45 a.m. Tips for Managing Symptoms
Noon Lunch and Q & A
1 p.m. Enriching Activities for Joy and Individuality
2:30 p.m. Reducing Unnecessary Medications
The session is funded by a grant from the Otto Bremer Trust and is conducted by Ecumen, a nonprofit senior housing and aging services provider based in Shoreview, MN. Ecumen has received national recognition for its Ecumen Awakenings program — an approach to dementia care focused on replacing the use of highly sedating drugs with individualized care and holistic therapies emphasizing personal connections.
After the training session, attendees have the option of signing up for follow-up support and assistance. Ecumen professionals will contact participants to talk about their specific needs and help direct them to services in their area.
How To Start Designing Your Life for Aging — No Matter What Your Age
It’s never too soon to design your life for aging, says architect Matthias Hollwich. And he’s not just talking about designing space.
Ecumen Home Care-Lakeshore Receives Customer Experience Award From National Customer Satisfaction Survey Firm
Ecumen Home Care-Lakeshore has received the 2015 Customer Experience AwardTM from Pinnacle Quality Insight, a national healthcare customer satisfaction measurement company.