Suddenly the Tech World Loves People Over 50
The AgePower Tech Search, which will take submissions until October 31st, was recently featured in this article at PBS' NextAvenue.org and Forbes. (Dig NextAvenue's tagline: Where Grown-Ups Keep Growing)
Honoring Centenarians Muriel and Tillie at Union Central
Muriel Swenson (picture on the left) was the first resident at Union Central Senior Living, an Ecumen managed community in Detroit Lakes, when it opened in 2010. She is also the oldest at 101. But not by much. Tillie Dybing (right), who lives down the hall, just turned 100.
Muriel and Tillie had birthdays a week apart in August. Both had very special birthday parties, with family coming in from all over the country to celebrate.
Both women are active and live independently and frequently socialize with each other at Union Central.
Muriel and her now-deceased husband of 75 years, ran a dairy farm near Hawley and raised two children.
Tillie grew up in a sod house in Manford, N.D., and later lived in Harvey. She spent most of her adult life in Minot, where she and her husband raised two children. Tillie worked a Bader’s Department Store in Minot for 27 years.
We honor centenarians Muriel Swenson and Tillie Dybing.
Heritage at Irene Woods, an Ecumen-Managed Community, Rolls Out Its New Approach to Senior Living Near Memphis
Heritage at Irene Woods near Memphis, Tenn., recently welcomed its first independent-living residents and the assisted living and memory care units will open October 1. The senior living community, located at Forest Hill Irene Road and Bill Morris Parkway near I-385, is in the first phase of a long-term development plan that includes multi-family housing.
“This is the only senior living community of its kind in this area-- offering exceptional value and a completely new and different approach,” said Charlotte Curtis, marketing manager for the development. “These apartment homes are definitely larger and less costly than many of the other newer communities near here. Plus, we are in a beautiful setting in an ideal location, with superior services and amenities. No detail has been overlooked.”
This is Ecumen’s first managed community in Tennessee and with partner Edward Rose & Sons, headquartered in Michigan. In the summer of 2014, Ecumen will begin managing another Edward Rose community in Clinton Township, Mich.
The 150-acre Heritage campus, between Germantown and Collierville, will become a multi-generational neighborhood over the next five years that not only has a broad spectrum of senior living services but also an adjacent multi-family apartment development sharing the amenities. “This will be a community for all ages,” Charlotte said. “It will truly fulfill Ecumen’s belief that growing older, no matter what the age or phase, is all about living. Residents will have the freedom, choice and flexibility to enjoy the way of life they love with all the familiar comforts and traditions and the opportunity to pursue new experiences and connections.”
The Heritage community is in a rural setting with small-town ambiance with towering live oak trees, deep woods and fields, yet is only minutes away from retail services, restaurants, shopping, Memphis International Airport, places of worship, golf courses and hospitals and clinics.
The campus includes a three-story independent and assisted living building and a one-level memory care community with connected outdoor gardens and views overlooking Irene Woods. The entire community totals over 165,000 square feet and offer 140 units of senior living apartments,all available on a monthly rental basis with no entrance fees.
“As residents’ needs change,” Charlotte said, “they will have access to all the benefits of a complete retirement community lifestyle, yet pay only for what they need, when they need it.”
Among the amenities at Heritage are three dining venues, concierge services, an arboretum, library and media room, club lounge and game room, on-site bank, general store, barber/beauty shop and spa, fitness and wellness studio, movie theater and chapel, outdoor courtyards, patios and walking paths, and indoor gardening.
For a tour or more information contact Charlotte Curtis at (901) 318-3886 or CharlotteCurtis@ecumen.org or visit www.HeritageIreneWoods.com
World Alzheimer Report, New American Psychiatric Association Statement Show Need for Different Kind of Alzheimer's Care
World Alzheimer Report and insight from American Psychiatric Association Illustrate Need for Ecumen Awakenings-type care approaches.
The Voyage of Father Vincent from the Shores of Ecumen Lakeshore
On a dreamlike summer day on Caribou Lake near Duluth, a canoe cut through the glassy water. Father Vincent James Arimand, 92, was at the front of the boat, his paddle moving effortlessly, his dream coming true.
Father Vincent, a resident of The Shores at Ecumen Lakeshore, had been musing and wishing out loud that he could go canoeing again-- like he did so many times, so long ago. Sandra Dantes of Ecumen Lakeshore at Home, which is the name of our at-home services in Duluth, heard him—and decided to honor his wish and empower him to make it happen.
“I couldn’t help but notice the gleam in his eyes each time he shared his canoeing stories with me,” Sandra said. “He would reminisce about his earlier years and the hundreds of miles he covered while paddling a canoe. I thought, let’s make this happen again.”
Sandra believed he could still do it. She had seen him daily walking the Lakeshore grounds with only minimal assistance. So she found a generous local merchant who donated the use of a brand-new canoe, loaded it on her truck, picked up Father Vincent and his personal aide, Leif Johnson, and headed for the lake.
On that picture-perfect Sunday afternoon, an elated Father Vincent eagerly climbed into the front of the canoe. Leif took the back, and Sandra took the middle seat. They pushed off and glided the lake for several hours-- smiling and singing.
It was a beautiful day. The past was present again. And Father Vincent summed up this way: “If I am dreaming, please do not wake me up!”
Father Vincent isn’t dreaming, he’s living! We look forward to more of Father Vincent’s canoe trips.
Ecumen Expands Its Home Care Services with Acquisition of Covenant Companies
Ecumen has expanded its Ecumen At Home-Twin Cities home care operations with the acquisition of Covenant Companies in Coon Rapids.
“This acquisition is integral to our mission of creating home for older adults wherever they choose to live,” said Kari Everson, executive director of Ecumen at Home. “Another valuable benefit of this acquisition is that our Twin Cities home care service is now Medicare-certified, which opens a new seamless service option for our customers.”
“This certification allows us to serve people in their homes who are transitioning from a hospital stay or otherwise require care covered by their Medicare benefit,” Everson said. “It also allows us to provide therapy services as well as other Medicare coverable services in our Ecumen housing communities throughout the Twin Cities. This creates more ease and convenience for our customers.”
Everson said research shows that the vast majority of people want to remain in their homes as long as possible as they age, and Ecumen is committed to continued development of its home care services to meet this need.
Carolyn Perron Promoted To Ecumen's VP of Organizational Development
Carolyn Perron has been promoted to Ecumen’s Vice President of Organizational Development.
Robin Dunbar, Ecumen’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, recently announced Perron’s promotion in a company-wide memo:
“I am very pleased to announce the promotion of Carolyn Perron to Vice President of Organizational Development. Carolyn’s leadership and contributions have been integral to helping build Ecumen’s brand and culture, helping people to grow within Ecumen and also attracting other talented people committed to our mission of creating home and our vision of Changing Aging.
As Vice President of Organizational Development, Carolyn will provide leadership to support and strengthen employee education, employee development and leadership development. People are essential to who we are and why we have been consistently honored as a “Best Place to Work.” It is essential that we continue to help our talent grow and be a place that attracts the best employees as we continue to evolve. Carolyn’s role is essential to this work. Within these core development areas, she also will forge strategy and tools to support succession planning, talent assessment and performance management.
Carolyn joined the HR team in 2007 as an interim HR Director. In this role she helped develop our workforce planning tool and our applicant job shadow program. Carolyn soon became Ecumen’s first Director of Training and Development, inheriting a blank landscape to develop. In this role, she created Ecumen’s first online training module, which brought leaders together from across our multi-site geography on a monthly basis for education and dialogue.
In leading Ecumen Way training across the company, she has helped employees discover their personal brand and how personal brand interrelates with and helps advance the Ecumen brand. As lead facilitator of Velocity, Ecumen’s Leadership Development Program, she has made The Ecumen Way and our brand promise to “Innovate. Empower. Honor.”-- the cornerstone of our year-long personal development experience and other education and development initiatives. These include the EMAPS performance management program; Lean Training, which has helped us streamline job processes and eliminate wasted time that can be frustrating for an employee; and NEON, our new employee orientation program.
Carolyn’s energetic attitude, her desire to learn and empower others to grow, her fearlessness in taking on pioneering initiatives and her commitment to excellence has helped influence, and is intertwined with, Ecumen’s progress of the last six years.
Congratulations and thank you, Carolyn.”
Happy 90th Birthday to Governor Al Quie From Ecumen, Have Fun in the Saddle Today!
We don't think Governor Quie is going to quite follow his doctor's orders :), Happy Birthday, Governor Quie
Groundbreaking Held for Ecumen Services Hub Supported by Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and Otto Bremer Foundation
Ecumen Detroit Lakes residents, families, staff and local community leaders gathered under sunny skies Thursday, September 12, 2013, for a ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new short-stay rehabilitation and wellness center.
The project is a key component of what is envisioned as an innovative "one-stop aging services hub” that integrates technology, socialization, fitness, nutrition and health care to help keep seniors in rural Becker County healthier and independent. The project is possible through grants from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and the Otto Bremer Foundation.
Detroit Lakes Mayor Matt Brenk welcomed the group and congratulated Ecumen on the project, which he said, “not only represents a quality of life improvement for the community but also a great economic boost for Detroit Lakes.”
The new addition will include a therapy center with a hydrotherapy pool, a wellness center with a bistro, a telehealth center and a yoga room. The project also includes updating other areas of Ecumen Detroit Lakes to better serve area residents.
Ecumen Detroit Lakes Executive Director Janet Green told the group that in 2014, when the new center opens, the campus will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. “This project is preparing us for the next 50 years,” she said. “We’re going to be able to serve people better and differently.”
Janelle Meyers' Journey To the Leadership Academy
A couple of years ago, Janelle Meyers, housing manager at Ecumen Prairie Lodge in Brooklyn Center, was feeling a little pressure and a lot of anticipation. An elite group of aging-services professionals from all over the country were descending on Ecumen Prairie Lodge to take a close look at the Enhanced Memory Care Program she had developed. The program was beginning to build a national reputation for its innovative approach to caring for people with especially difficult dementia behaviors.
The visitors were Leadership Academy Fellows, a group of about 35 up-and-coming aging-services professionals chosen by LeadingAge to spend a year enhancing their leadership skills. “It was an experience I will never forget,” Janelle said. “This was such a wonderful group of people—full of enthusiasm and insight and willingness to learn. I was honored to show them our program.”
Since that site visit, there have been many more. Aging services professionals from all over the world have come to observe the program and learn from Janelle.
Now it’s payback time. Janelle will get her chance to travel around the country and observe the most innovative work others in her profession are doing. She has been named to the prestigious Leadership Academy herself and will begin her fellowship in October at a kickoff during LeadingAge’s annual meeting in Dallas.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Janelle said. “This is such an opportunity to learn and grow and work directly with some of the best people in the industry. I really appreciate Ecumen’s willingness to sponsor me, and I’m committed to getting as much as possible from this program. I want to improve my leadership skills and bring back lots of ideas for innovating at Ecumen.”
The fellows get together five times during the year and work intensely together. They are divided into four teams and assigned a coach who guides individual projects, facilitates team-based exercises and provides ongoing mentoring. Teams check in through monthly calls with the group, and Fellows can talk to their mentors anytime.
Over the course of the year, there are site visits to innovative organizations across the aging services spectrum, along with exposure to visionary leaders known for enabling transformation. Plus, Fellows translate leadership theory into action by working on a group project as well as a long-term individual project to champion innovation in their organizations. LeadingAge says the project aims to help Fellows “expand their comfort zone, experiment with new leadership styles, embrace uncertainty and become more self-aware.”
The fellowship ends in November, 2014, at LeadingAge’s annual meeting in Nashville, where fellows formally present their vision, passion and learning over the course of the year.
Two other Ecumen employees have been Leadership Academy fellows—Julie Murray, vice president of sales and marketing and new ventures, and Janet Green, executive director at Ecumen Detroit Lakes. Both report outstanding experiences.
Janet was in the very first Leadership Academy class in 2006. She was so moved by the experience that she came home advocating that Ecumen start its own local version of the academy. That was the seed for what is now Ecumen’s Velocity Program. “This was such a diverse mix of people from all over the country coming together to improve long-term care and to improve themselves,” Janet said. “The energy and commitment was so motivating. I wanted as many of Ecumen’s leaders as possible to have this kind of opportunity.”
Julie’s experience was similar. In fact, she still has a monthly call with her fellows’ network. “You get very close to your colleagues,” Julie said. “We help each other solve problems. We talk about everything from issues at work to work-life balance. They are a very trusted network.”
Janelle has been with Ecumen for eight years and has been in the aging-service field for 17 years, where she has held jobs in therapeutic recreation, memory care, marketing and customer relations. At Ecumen Prairie Lodge, Janelle has been housing manager for almost her entire tenure. In addition to the memory care program, she is especially proud of the work she has done on culture change and employee engagement, which has cut turnover in half.
“I work in aging services because I love older adults,” Janelle wrote in her Leadership Academy application. “I see the value in each and every person at every stage of their journey. My dream is to live in a world where growing old is a privilege and not a burden.”