Ecumen Blogger Jim Klobuchar — Lutheran to the Rescue at the Vatican
A Lutheran bishop who knows his stuff saves the day on a tour of the Vatican.
A Four-Generation Family Affair at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth
Working at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth is literally a family affair for Cathy Firth. Four generations of her family have worked here — her mother, sisters, son and grandson.
Ecumen’s Matt McNeill Joins Regional Aging Board
Matt McNeill, Ecumen Director of Business Development, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging.
Duluth Sports Legend and Ecumen Lakeshore Resident ‘Soup’ Stromme Honored in Duluth News Tribune Article
Graydon “Soup” Stromme, 91, legendary manager of the Duluth-Superior Dukes minor league baseball team, made a nostalgic return to recently renovated Wade Stadium last week.
Top 5 Blog Posts —June 1
Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:
Ground Is Broken and Construction Begins on Ecumen’s Abiitan Mill City in Downtown Minneapolis
Ecumen and Eagle Iron Partners hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking May 19, 2015, for their new development in the Mill District of Minneapolis, and construction has begun.
6 Things Caregivers Must Do While There's Still Time
Elder law attorney Stuart Furman offers six suggestions to help prepare for some of the most common stressful situations that can occur during elder care.
Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood: Chuck McKiernan Gives His Fellow Residents the Gift of Exercise
Chuck McKiernan, a resident at Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood, is done with treadmills. He stills has the scars where he fell off one. But when his good friend Millie did a treadmill face plant and sustained serious injury, that put him over the edge. Chuck exercised his checkbook and bought a $6,500 NuStep recumbent cross trainer, which he donated to Seasons at Maplewood.
Award-Winning Ecumen Communities Recognized at Leadership Meeting
Ecumen sites with outstanding achievements in 2014 were recognized at a presentation ceremony at the 2015 Leadership Meeting held on May 7, in Saint Cloud, Minn. The three areas of award recognition were financial results, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction.
Aging and Financial Decline: Warning Signs and What To Do
Financial problems among seniors are common, and prominent geriatrician Dr. Leslie Kernisan, has written a comprehensive post to help you recognize and deal with declining financial abilities, including what can be done medically to help cope.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
Star Tribune: Innovative Project Combines Senior and Low-Income Rental Housing in the Mill District
Star Tribune real estate reporter Jim Buchta highlights the start of Ecumen’s Abiitan Mill City project in Downtown Minneapolis.
6 Things Caregivers Must Do While There's Still Time
Rather than fear elder care, get ready for it. Preparing ahead of time eases the strain, says longtime elder law attorney Stuart Furman, writing for Next Avenue. He offers six suggestions to help prepare for some of the most common stressful situations that can occur during elder care. For more in-depth information, see Furman’s The ElderCare Ready Book.
Aging and Financial Decline: Warning Signs and What To Do
Here's some expert advice on how to deal with financial problems among seniors.
Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood: Chuck McKiernan Gives His Fellow Residents the Gift of Exercise
Chuck McKiernan, a resident at Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood, is done with treadmills. He stills has the scars where he fell off one. But when his good friend Millie did a treadmill face plant and sustained serious injury, that put him over the edge.
Chuck exercised his checkbook and bought a $6,500 NuStep recumbent cross trainer, which he donated to Seasons at Maplewood in honor of the McKiernan family.
“So many people going through rehab just can’t use a treadmill,” Chuck says. “They need low impact exercise.” And he should know.
While he was going through cardiac rehabilitation at a local hospital, he was walking on a treadmill and had another heart attack. When he fell, the treadmill didn’t automatically shut down, making a mess of his leg below the knee.
That’s how he first learned about the NuStep, whose inventor was specifically striving for a better, safer type of exercise for those managing heart disease. The NuStep gives a total body workout in a seated position.
This was all swirling in Chuck’s mind as the Residents Council at Seasons at Maplewood was dealing with a budget problem. They were debating priorities — a new security system versus new exercise equipment. Both were important, but the security system got the nod.
And that’s when Chuck decided to do what he could about the exercise equipment.
“This is such a generous and considerate donation,” says Hope Summers, the Housing Director at Seasons at Maplewood. “We are all so grateful to Chuck for his gift and for his concern for other residents. The NuStep meets a very real need. The residents are lining up to use it.”
“It’s about helping others,” says Chuck, a jovial guy who is enjoying telling fellow residents all about the new machine. “It’s easy-on, easy-off,” he says, showing a woman how to scoot out of her walker and on to the NuStep.
“I’m not using it as much as I should,” Chuck says. “But I’m spending a lot of time instructing others.”
To acknowledge the donation a group of grateful well-wishers assembled in the Fitness Center recently. Chuck and his cousin Dale Grambush gathered with Resident Council President Larry Bauer-Scandin, Council Secretary Betty Lundberg, Hope Summers, Ecumen Regional Manager Joe Signore, the former Housing Director here, Maintenance Manager Billy Flanagan, and Ecumen Director of Development Amy Williams.
As the group assembles, Chuck is flipping through a magazine. “Look here!” he says. “Here’s my next donation. It’s a Scrabble game with pieces that are 150 percent bigger. I know some people who have trouble reading those little pieces.”
Celebrating the new equipment in the Fitness Center, (front row, left to right) Resident Council President Larry Bauer-Scandin, Chuck McKiernan, Council Secretary Betty Lundberg and (back row, left to right) Housing Director Hope Summers, Ecumen Regional Manager Joe Signore, Maintenance Manager Billy Flanagan, and Dale Grambush, Chuck's counsin.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 103rd Birthday Florence Hovda
Ecumen honors Florence Hovda, a resident of Ecumen Oaks & Pines in Hutchinson, Minn., who is 103.