St. Paul Pioneer Press Highlights Ecumen Awakenings for Excellence in Dementia Care Award
In a recent Opinuendo column the St. Paul Pioneer Press highlighted Ecumen’s Excellence in Dementia Care Award, a national honor received last week in Washington, D.C. Here’s what the Pioneer Press wrote:
On stage with a legend
Two nurses from Ecumen, a Shoreview-based nonprofit senior housing and services provider, shared a stage this week in Washington, D.C., with music legend Glen Campbell and his family.
They received awards at an Alzheimer's-awareness event, the Great Minds Gala -- Ecumen's Shelley Matthes and Maria Reyes for a program that uses nonpharmaceutical approaches to improve patients' quality of life, and the singer and his family for advocacy for continued research, education and support for those suffering with the disease.
Ecumen received the Excellence in Dementia Care Award from Ellen Proxmire, in honor of her late husband, Wisconsin Sen. William Proxmire, who died of Alzheimer's, and LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit senior services organizations.
Ecumen was honored for its "Awakenings" program, aimed at reducing or eliminating the use of anti-psychotic medications among people with Alzheimer's and related dementias.
The program used behavior modification and other alternative techniques to reduce the use of anti-psychotic drugs by 98 percent in 1,200 patients in 16 nursing homes, according to a Washington Post report, saving $200,000 to $350,000 a month in Medicare and Medicaid spending on the medications and making patients more alert and active.
Patients "just became more alive and more awake, and that's why we called it Awakenings," Matthes told the Post. "It's not stopping the disease's progress, but it's improving the quality of life for the person, and the quality of the family experience, as well."
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Ecumen Receives National Award for Excellence in Dementia Care
Ecumen received national recognition as winner of the LeadingAge Excellence in Dementia Care Award presented March 17 at the Great Minds Gala in Washington, D.C.
The award honors Ecumen Awakenings™, a care program that emphasizes managing dementia without highly sedating drugs. 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.
The award was presented by LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit aging services providers. It recognizes extraordinary leadership in the quest to improve lives of those touched by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Between 2010 and 2013, Ecumen Awakenings achieved a 97% reduction in the use of psychotropic medications, decreasing dosage or discontinuing use of more than 1,000 of these potentially harmful drugs.
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota addressed the gala attendees by video and recognized Ecumen as a leader in healthcare innovation. Klobuchar has introduced legislation to increase federal support for Alzheimer’s research and provide tax credits to caregivers.
Shelley Matthes, RN, Ecumen director of quality improvement, and Maria Reyes, RN, manager of Awakenings, accepted the award. “I often tell my colleagues that when we know better, we do better” Matthes said. “Awakenings is an evolution of many wonderful, intelligent, kind people who put their heart into this work to learn, to do better, so people’s lives are better.”
Reyes told the gala attendees: “Awakenings exists because of an incredible team of people across Ecumen who have a passion for making lives better. They are doing that work as I speak.”
“Alzheimer's Disease affects more than 5 million people, many of whom are cared for by our members or informal caregivers,” said Larry Minnix, LeadingAge's president and CEO. “We hope that the examples set by this year's honorees highlight the work that is being done to care for those affected while we search for a cure.”
Ecumen shared the stage with country music entertainer Glen Campbell and his family, who received the Senator William Proxmire Award for their advocacy for research, education and support related to Alzheimer’s disease since 2011, when the disease was diagnosed in the country singer. The award is named for the late U.S. Senator, who had Alzheimer’s disease.
Ecumen Awakenings 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.
Honoring Verna Bloom, Age 104, at Ecumen-Managed Sunnyside Care Center
Everybody wants to know Verna Bloom’s secret. She’ll tell you being 104 years old “surprises” her because she has “no secret of any kind.”
“Every day is a gift from God,” Verna is fond of saying.
The staff at Ecumen-managed Sunnyside Care Center in Lake Park, Minn., where Verna lives, has some insight into her longevity. “Verna is always smiling and has a gracious heart,” says Laura Boreen, the resident services director. “She is always thinking about and caring for others.”
Verna was born on a farm near Audubon, Minn., in Becker County, March 22, 1910, and was one of eight children. Growing up, she milked cows and worked around the family farm.
Verna met her husband Willard, nicknamed “Chubby,” when she was 22. He would come to Lake Park on his motorcycle and take her on rides. When she was 24 they got married and had two children.
She and Willard owned a hardware store in Lake Park, where she was the manager. She also cut and styled hair for many years and enjoyed playing the piano.
When she was in her 70s, after Willard died, she would go to Chicago for extended periods to babysit for her grandchildren, who gave her the nickname “Big V.”
Verna stays active crocheting baby blankets for her great-great grandkids, and she never misses a Friday Bingo game. And she is always smiling.
Sunnyside Care Center will be serving cake and ice cream this Saturday to celebrate. And the Detroit Lakes Tribune has featured a story about her.
Ecumen honors Verna Bloom. Happy 104th Birthday.
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Great Minds Gala Video: Ashley and Shannon Campbell Perform Tribute to their Father
Ashley and Shannon Campbell, children of legendary country music singer Glen Campbell, gave a stunning performance to cap last night's Great Minds Gala in Washington, D.C. Campbell was honored at the Gala for his and his family's efforts toward continued research, education and support for those living with Alzheimers. Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2011, after which he and his family decided to launch a Glen Campbell goodbye tour, giving him a chance to connect with family, friends and fans through music.
Thank you to Leading Age for sharing the video on their Facebook page.
The Great Minds Gala recognizes LeadingAge members and individuals who have exhibited extraordinary leadership in the quest to improve lives of those touched by Alzheimer's and other related dementias. Ecumen was also an award recipient at the event.
Washington Post Highlights Ecumen Awakenings™
Ecumen Awakenings™ is in the national spotlight as the recipient of the Excellence in Dementia Care award from LeadingAge, a national association of nonprofit aging services providers. Washington Post Reporter Tara Bahrampour interviewed Ecumen nurses Shelley Matthes and Maria Reyes about the history, methods and success of the program in this Q & A in the Post.
Ecumen Bethany Awards Scholarships for Long-Term Care Education
Seven staff members at Ecumen Bethany Community in Alexandria, Minn., received spring semester scholarships totaling almost $7,000 to continue their educational goals in the long-term care career field. An Alexandria Echo Press story highlights the program.
Reassuring Study: “Senior Moments” Don’t Mean Dementia for Most People
A new German study suggests that memory lapses associated with aging may not lead to dementia for a majority of people. Only about 20 percent of those in the study who had “senior moments” developed Alzheimer’s or other serious brain-related disorders. HealthDay reports on the study, which also shows that over time 42 percent of participants with mild cognitive impairment actually returned to normal mental functioning.
Ecumen Bethany Community’s Rehabilitation and Outpatient Therapy Gets Chuck Back in the Boat
Chuck woke up one morning paralyzed by a rare nervous system disorder that required long hospitalization, followed by in-patient and out-patient rehabilitation at Ecumen Bethany Community in Alexandria, Minn. Chuck recalls how Ecumen therapy staff supportively pushed him toward his goal of being able to climb into a boat and go fishing. “If the staff wasn’t so good,” he says, “the result wouldn’t be so good.”
Chuck tells his story in the video below:
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