Gus the Dog Charms Ecumen Lakeview Commons Residents
Gus is in the business of making people happy, and residents of Ecumen Lakeview Commons are his best clients.
Gus, the year-and-a-half-old Border Collie roams the halls of Lakeview Commons in Maplewood, Minn., and always finds someone to play with. He even knows which rooms he can go to get a treat.
“His main role is to bring cheer,” says Lakeview Commons Director of Therapeutic Recreation Jen Rasmussen. “Residents can be having a bad day and in 30 seconds Gus can change their mood.”
Jen says that the best moments with Gus and the residents are unstructured. Residents often take Gus for a walk, or play fetch with him outside. Also, structured events with memory care residents have had a great therapeutic impact. Programs give memory care residents the opportunity to play with Gus, brush him and most importantly spark conversation. Many residents begin talking about dogs that they once owned, reminding them of home.
“Lakeview Commons is like one big home, and Gus helps that,” says Jen.
Ecumen Honored With “Best Places To Work” Award by Business Journal
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has announced that Ecumen will receive a “Best Places to Work” award — for the ninth time in the past decade.
The award is based on the high marks employees gave in an anonymous survey on topics such as work environment, people practices and how things work day-to-day.
In a congratulatory email to Ecumen employees, Robin Dunbar Balck, Ecumen’s Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Strategic Alignment, said: “Thank you for all that you do to support our customers and your coworkers. After all, great people make great places to live and work! Only with the hard work and talent of our employees are we able to gain such wonderful recognition.”
Ecumen is among 53 companies who will receive the award at an Aug. 14, 2014, reception and be featured in the Aug. 15 Weekly Edition of the Business Journal.
Go here to read the Business Journal’s announcement and see a video on the winners.
Ecumen Names Directors To Head Expanded Alzheimer’s Care Program
Ecumen has named two directors to lead the expansion of its nationally recognized Ecumen Awakenings™ program that emphasizes managing dementia without highly sedating drugs.
Maria Reyes, a registered nurse who has been instrumental in the development of the program, has been promoted to Awakenings Project Director in charge of clinical quality and training as Awakenings expands from nursing homes to assisted living sites and home care. A sought-after speaker on nursing and dementia care, Reyes has worked in nursing homes, assisted living and home care and held several key leadership roles at Ecumen, including serving as a Director of Nursing, establishing a new short-term rehabilitation center, and helping launch an Ecumen home care agency as Clinical Director.
Janelle Meyers, the Housing Manager at Ecumen Prairie Lodge in Brooklyn Park, Minn., since 2005, has been promoted to the new position of Ecumen Programming Director with responsibility for handling the business side of Awakenings and other company initiatives. Meyers is a Fellow in the LeadingAge Leadership Academy, a board member and vice-chair of the Brooklyn Center Business Association and has served on the conference committee of the Minnesota Gerontological Society since 2011. At Ecumen Prairie Lodge, she created a renowned program for behavioral management to handle some of the most challenging types of dementia.
The Awakenings approach to dementia care started as a pilot program in 2009 at Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors, Minn. With a grant from the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Ecumen expanded and developed the program in all 15 of its nursing homes in 2010. Awakenings is an integrated care approach in which residents, their families, doctors and care staff all work together to replace traditional drug therapies with individualized techniques that reduce anxiety and difficult behaviors while improving quality of life.
In 2013 Awakenings received the Aging Services of Minnesota’s Leading Change Innovation Award and in 2014 received the National Excellence in Dementia Care Award presented by LeadingAge, the national association for non-profit aging services providers. Ecumen Awakenings also has received media attention for its innovative approach to dementia care from the Washington Post, The New York Times, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and KARE11-TV. Go to www.ecumenawakenings.org for more information.
Ecumen Prairie Lodge Introduces Job Opportunities to Banyan Community Students
Students from the Banyan Community had an opportunity to tour Ecumen Prairie Lodge and learn about the various jobs available in senior housing.
The Banyan Community’s primary mission is to help youth go to college, graduate and succeed as adults. The program works with youth of all ages in the Philips neighborhood of South Minneapolis, providing opportunities to gain leadership skills and experience. The Banyan Community’s philosophy centers on students succeeding through connection and engagement within their communities.
A panel of Ecumen Prairie Lodge staff gave insight into their roles within Ecumen. Panel members also told of their educational paths and years of experience. Employees encouraged students to find their passion through volunteerism and involvement in their communities.
With the ever-growing need for employees in senior housing, visits like these are crucial. “The population of older adults who will need assistance is growing and will continue to grow,” said Prairie Lodge Housing Manager, Janelle Meyers. “These visits help plant seeds in a young person’s mind about what the diverse career possibilities associated with the field of aging are. We need to get young people interested in a career in aging services because we will always need people to care for people.”
Not only was the visit important to Ecumen Prairie Lodge, but students also enjoyed their time. One student remarked, “I really want to help people and it seems like I would love it there.”
To learn more about Banyan Community and their mission, please visit http://www.banyancommunity.org.
On the Eve of Her Retirement Ecumen Bethany’s Sandi Vatthauer Reveals Her Secrets for Hiring the Very Best Caregivers
Sandi Vatthauer knows the stakes are high when hiring caregivers, and she has developed a shrewd method of screening the best prospects that has very little to do with the job interview.
Last Week's Top 5 Blog Posts- July 7
In case you missed one, here are the blog posts our online vistors found most interesting last week:
"A Dance To Remeber" at Ecumen Detroit Lakes
The Lost Remedies of Broken Love by Jim Klobuchar
Miss Minnesota 1944 Is Much Younger Than Her 90 Years
Ecumen Scenic Shores: Residents to Explore Music and Memory
Ecumen Lakeshore Residents Sing the Praises of Opera
To read more Changing Aging blog posts or to learn more about Ecumen, please visit ecumen.org!
The Lost Remedies of Broken Love by Jim Klobuchar
Ecumen blooger Jim Klobuchar takes a tongue-in-cheek trip down memory lane, longing for the days when music captured good old fashioned despair in ways that could make you laugh and cry at the same time.
"A Dance To Remember" at Ecumen Detroit Lakes
Laughter and stories of 50 years of memories filled the Detroit Lakes Pavilion June 20 as more than 300 residents, family, friends, volunteers and employees gathered for "A Dance to Remember." The event, celebrating 50 years of service at Ecumen Detroit Lakes, featured food, beverages, music, dancing, classic cars and beach volleyball.
Last Week's Top 5 Blog Posts- June 30
In case you missed one, here are the blog posts our online visitors found most interesting last week:
Miss Minnesota 1944 Is Much Younger Than Her 90 Years
The Ecumen IT Nurses: Comforting Those Suffering From Technology
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 102nd Birthday Mildred Nelson
Bodybuilder Creates a Boot Camp for the Elderly and Changes Their Lives
Seven Ways To Pay for Long Term Care
To read more Changing Aging blog posts or to learn more about Ecumen, please visit ecumen.org!