Ecumen Velocity Class of 2014 Begins Year-Long Action-Learning Program
The Ecumen Velocity Leadership Development Program Class of 2014 completed its first workshop on “Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence,” kicking off a year-long experience focused on building leadership skills and developing innovative approaches to aging services.
“The first workshop is all about self-discovery,” said Carolyn Perron, vice president of organizational development. “To lead others effectively, you need to know yourself. Once people learn who they really are and what their leadership gifts are, they can start building skills and leveraging strengths.”
The Velocity program encourages broader, more innovative thinking and development of each individual’s authentic personal leadership style. The first workshop was devoted specifically to helping participants understand their individual styles using well-established assessment tools. They took the Leadership Practices Inventory, which lets each participant see how they view themselves compared to how their colleagues view them. They also took an emotional intelligence assessment that provides insight into self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
Based on class feedback, the first workshop achieved its goal. Danielle Olson, executive director at Sunnyside Care Center in Lake Park, Minn., summed it up this way: “The experience was emotional and personal. I really learned who I am and how specific moments in my life shaped my leadership style. I left with an excitement for what is to come and have already found myself being more fully engaged in conversations that I am having with others.”
“WOW! I’m feeling overwhelmed, excited and pumped up for the changes to come,” said Christy Johnson, recreation therapy director at Ecumen Parmly LifePointes. “I have gained valuable insight to my leadership style, delivery and perception. I have taken away several key strategies to help me make improvements to my work and home relationships.”
Over the next year, the group will have three more workshops. Early in 2014 the class will be given an action-learning project to practically apply the course work to a real issue facing Ecumen and the aging services profession. Last year’s action-learning project focused on developing ideas and strategies for how an Ecumen campus could potentially become an “ageless community” that is less dependent on government funding.
The program emphasizes collaborative problem-solving that incorporates different approaches and perspectives. Participants come from all parts of the company, and graduates cite exposure to the diverse thinking of their colleagues as a key benefit of the experience. The 2014 class members are:
- Amanda Beavens, Housing Manager, Ecumen Mapleton, Mapleton, Minn.
- Christy Johnson, Recreation Therapy Director, Ecumen Parmly LifePointes, Chisago City, Minn.
- Danielle Olson, Executive Director, Sunnyside Care Center, Lake Park, Minn.
- Darcy Stueber, Director of Dining, Ecumen Pathstone Living, Mankato, Minn.
- Irmadene Hanson, Quality Improvement Nurse, Ecumen Home Office, Shoreview, Minn.
- Laura Templin, Housing Manager, Ecumen Lake Crystal, Lake Crystal, Minn.
- Roberta Alzen, Clinical Director, Grand Village, Grand Rapids, Minn.
The workshops are facilitated by Perron, along with Robin Dunbar, senior vice president of human resources and strategic alignment. Mentors for Velocity 2014 are Shelley Kendrick, vice president of operations, and Shelley Matthes, director of quality improvement.
The Velocity program was developed by Ecumen and has been custom-designed to incorporate the leadership skill building and theories required to live The Ecumen Way and carry out the Ecumen brand promise of “Innovate, Empower, Honor.” Participants spend 10 to 15 hours a month on Velocity activities. At the four workshops, the group gathers for two-day sessions that include in-depth discussions, readings and conversations. Additionally, they work on their action-learning project, which will be presented to Ecumen senior management in July 2014. Since Velocity began in 2009, 63 employees have graduated.
“The Velocity experience is designed to prepare our leaders for a future that transforms the way we think about and deal with aging,” said Perron. “We work on the premise that great questions lead to great answers. So the group tackles a big project designed to challenge them and grow their skills, while also helping Ecumen deal with real issues facing the organization. All along the way, the group explores and learns together, developing new approaches for themselves and their work."
Revitalizing Memory Care at Ecumen Pathstone Living
The Memory Care team at Ecumen Pathstone Living recently decided it was time for a change. Inspired by a training video about state-of-the-art thinking on how to care for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, they looked around the memory care unit and saw that something important was missing.
The 21-room facility, built in 2006, had a clean, elegant look. What it lacked was the ambiance of home.
So for three days, the team did a complete review of the program, the residents’ individual interests and the physical setting. They set out to create a space where residents could directly engage with things that interest them in a space that feels like home.
The team cleaned, sorted and organized. They identified “themes” based on residents’ interests and analyzed the space for ways to improve engagement.
One thematic approach was to bring back the past, which can be very therapeutic for dementia patients. Now there is a “Reminiscence” area which will be changed out throughout the year to include things like seasonal décor, wedding dresses, farming, baseball, fur coats, jewelry, etc. Every article in the area is there for engagement--to be handled, tinkered with and enjoyed.
There is also an “Old Mankato” area with historic photos on display and a wall where residents have their own personalized baskets with items from home special to them. And in the “Nursery” area many residents like rocking and cradling dolls, which encourages the feeling of caring for others.
Another theme was to bring the outdoors inside with a “Garden/Sensory” area. In a sunroom near the front of the facility, flowers, lettuce, radishes, basil and parsley are now growing in raised-bed planters. In this area, residents can hear the sounds of rain drops, wind chimes, traffic and children playing.
Also, there is a “Nature/Relaxation” area with comfortable seating around a large fish tank and a “TV/Game/Music” area with a recreational theme, where families can gather.
“There is a new energy around our neighborhood,” said Angela Stevens, RN, the assisted living manager. “Residents are much more engaged. Plus, this was a great experience for staff. We saw what a difference we could make in a short time just by looking at the situation differently. It has been very rewarding to see the results.”
And family members agree. Lois Jaeger, whose mother lives at Ecumen Pathstone Living, sent this appreciative note:
“We miss them – our loved ones suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. No, they haven’t passed away, but so much of the essence of who they are is slipping away from us. How wonderful it is to have people and a program dedicated to drawing out bits and pieces of the ones we love so dearly.
“It has been exciting to learn about and watch as ‘Awakenings’ develops physically and programmatically at Pathstone Way. What fun to see the activity areas for gardening, costuming, ‘child’ care, etc. take shape. How gratifying to see the personal basket for my mother proudly displayed with evidence of who she really is. The ‘biography’ there, compiled by the staff from bits of information I supplied, is a lovely tribute to her and acknowledges the real person she has been and still is.
“But these tools would not mean as much as they do without the commitment and enthusiasm of the staff to utilize them. Residents are involved in projects that are designed to make them feel productive and contributing – just as they were before their illness. Smiles and laughter are coaxed out as sparks of humor and imagination are ignited by a costume or a picture. These things might seem small to others, but to those of us who love to see reflections of the person we remember they are enormous.
“My mother is surrounded by a staff that not only cares for her physical welfare but also understands and appreciates that locked inside a failing memory there is a history of a life spent in loving and giving. I am so thankful!”
Ecumen Prairie Lodge Expands Its Unique Approach To Enhanced Memory Care
Ecumen Prairie Lodge is doubling the size of its nationally known enhanced memory care program to meet a growing demand for its unique approach to dealing with the most challenging cases of dementia.
Before the expansion, one of the three Ecumen Prairie Lodge neighborhoods in Brooklyn Center housed 14 residents in enhanced memory care, along with 15 residents in traditional memory care. In April, Ecumen management decided to convert the entire building to enhanced memory care and transition the traditional memory care residents to another building.
“The decision to expand is need-driven,” said Janelle Meyer, housing director at Ecumen Prairie Lodge. “Our success caring for residents with more challenging behaviors sets us apart.”
The expanded program for enhanced memory care now has newly remodeled space with increased security, newly painted walls, new flooring and a refurbished courtyard area. New memory stations have been added throughout the building to encourage resident interaction. Also, there will be nursing coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new program will be fully operational October 31, 2013.
Ecumen Prairie Lodge is one of only a few providers in the country who do enhanced memory care for people with the more complicated diagnoses, which include frontotemporal lobe and Lewy body dementia. Only two other providers in Minnesota care for residents with especially challenging behaviors.
The Ecumen Prairie Lodge enhanced memory care program was started five years ago and has been in the national spotlight ever since. It relies much more on highly personalized staff interactions and various engagement therapies than on the use of psychotropic medications.
“Our success comes from giving residents more one-to-one staff attention,” Janelle said. “The staff really gets to know each person individually, and that knowledge helps guide residents through difficult situations.”
Also, Janelle said new staff goes through intensive training and all staff has continuing training. “The staff is constantly sharing information with one another about what works and doesn’t work with each resident, so that we are always adding to our toolbox and building on our knowledge,” she said.
“The staff here is highly trained and committed to caring for residents,” Janelle said. “Even though we handle the most difficult cases, we have very low staff turnover—about half the industry average.
Stevens Square Foundation Awards Ecumen $25,000 Grant To Expand Awakenings
A Minneapolis foundation with a strong commitment to supporting innovation in aging services awarded Ecumen $25,000 to expand Awakenings. See the full story here on our Awakenings.org blog.
Ecumen Awakenings Insight: The Crucial Difference Between Delirium and Dementia and Why A Care Team Must Fully Explore It
Ecumen Awakenings Insight and personal story from Shelley Matthes on the crucial difference between delirium and dementia.
Resident Botanist Transforms Ecumen Lakeshore Grounds
Three years ago, when most people looked at the grounds of Ecumen Lakeshore, they saw a lawn. But when Clayton Oslund looked, he saw a botanical garden. It just needed to be created, and he was the guy to do it.
Clayton had just moved into The Crest at Ecumen Lakeshore with his impeccable credentials: former botany and horticulture faculty member at the University of Minnesota, Waseca, and former nursery business owner. He went straightaway to Lakeshore management and got permission to transform the landscape, starting with plants he moved from his former home.
What once was only a lawn is now the Lakeshore Botanical Garden, which you can tour on Facebook. Clayton is the Volunteer Curator.
Recently, Clayton was profiled in The Senior Reporter, a Duluth publication. Editor Burton Laine wrote: “When I walked around the campus with Clayton, what I really enjoyed was not only his enthusiasm for interesting and unusual plants, but his stories. He continuously told stories about the plants, where they came from, why he wanted to try them here, the challenges, and on and on.” You can read the complete story here.
Clayton works continuously transforming the Ecumen Lakeshore landscape and has enlisted the help of other residents by encouraging them to adopt a garden that they can see out their windows. Also, he continues to use his connections in the nursery industry to get donations of interesting plants.
“Clayton has made such a difference here,” said Roxanne Sternberg, residence manager of The Crest. “One of our goals at Ecumen is to change how people think about aging, and Clayton personifies that value. He did not retire here. He continues to practice his craft every day in ways that make this a better place for everyone.”
Minnesota Exploring New Ways to Pay for Expensive Alzheimer's Care and Other Long-Term Care Needs
Governor Dayton's administration bringing Minnesotans together to explore new ways to pay for Alzheimer's care and other long-term care needs.
Joe Gomer, Minnesota's Last Tuskegee Airman and Ecumen Lakeshore Resident, Dies at 93
Our country has lost a hero, Congressional Gold Medal recipient and one of a small group of remaining Tuskegee Airmen. Joe Gomer passed away at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth, Minn., on Thursday, October 10. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends and all those he inspired. We are honored to have known and cared for Joe Gomer.
Learn more about Joe's life and accomplishments in today's Pioneer Press/AP story, "Minnesota's last Tuskegee Airman dies at 93."
Photo by AP Photo/Duluth News Tribune, Steve Kuchera
Ecumen CEO Kathryn Roberts Thanks Residents, Donors and Friends at Ecumen Pathstone Living Luncheon
Ecumen President and CEO Kathryn Roberts spent time discussing Ecumen’s Awakenings program with Roger Bock, a recent short-stay rehab “graduate” from Ecumen Pathstone Living in Mankato, at a luncheon on Monday, October 7.
Roberts thanked over 60 residents, families, donors, volunteers, funders and rehab alumni for their support and partnership, and highlighted Ecumen’s Changing Aging initiatives. One of those initiatives is Ecumen Awakenings – a pilot program to reduce the use of anti-psychotic medications for those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Roberts used the example to illustrate how new collaborations, new possibilities and new solutions are making lives better in Mankato and across the country.
Upcoming fundraising events at Ecumen Pathstone Living in Mankato include their annual Lights of Honor celebration on Sunday, November 3, and the Scandinavian Bake Sale on Saturday, December 7.
Ecumen Trustee Olivia Mastry Presenting on Act on Alzheimer's at Alzheimer Europe
L to R: Act on Alzheimer's Olivia Mastry, Executive Lead; Emily Farah-Miller, Project Director; Mary Ek, Project Manager
An Ecumen Awakenings colleague often uses this quotefrom Maya Angelou, relating it to Alzheimer's care: “When We Know Better, We Do Better.”
Learning and collaboration are essential to innovation in Alzheimer’s care. On that front, Ecumen Trustee Olivia Mastry is in Malta presenting at a Alzheimer Europe conference. Alzheimer Europe is striving to become the coordination and information center for all organizations working in this specific field, such as day care centers, sitting services, training centers for professionals and related organizations. They have some fantastic information, and it’s a great opportunity to connect with our European colleagues who share a passion for improving Alzheimer's care and making lives betetter.
Olivia is presenting in Malta on Act on Alzheimer’s, which is a very cool Minnesota effort that fosters collective ownership and accountability in preparing Minnesota for the personal, social and budgetary impacts of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Olivia is the Executive Lead of Act on Alzheimer's. No single organization owns, finances or controls the initiative. The collaboration has more than 250 participants, including 60+ nonprofit (including Ecumen), governmental and private organizations, and works toward five goals:
- Identify and invest in promising approaches that reduce costs and improve care.
- Increase detection of Alzheimer’s disease and improve ongoing care and support.
- Sustain caregivers by offering them information, resources and in-person support.
- Equip communities to be “dementia capable” to support residents who are touched by Alzheimer’s disease.
- Raise awareness and reduce stigma by engaging communities.
“When We Know Better, We Do Better.”