Top 5 Blog Posts — March 9
Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:
A Housekeeper at Ecumen North Branch Helps Rebuild a Remote Philippines Village
Halfway around the world in the tiny tropical Philippine barrio of Navitas on the island of Panay live about 150 elderly poor who have an angel looking out for them in North Branch, Minn. Her name is Luz Pedersen, who works as a housekeeper at Ecumen North Branch.
Thank You, Chuck Zimmerman, For Changing Aging
After more than 35 years at Ecumen, Chuck Zimmerman retired last week. He has been a leader in changing aging, presiding over countless transformations in senior care as an administrator at three of Ecumen’s largest campuses, a regional operations director for 15 years and most recently the head of the purchasing department.
Ecumen Parmly LifePointes Roars Back to the Twenties
The Ecumen Parmly LifePointes annual candlelight dinner Thursday night was the bee’s knees. The Chisago City joint was jumpin’ to jazz as gangsters and flappers mingled at the annual event that brings resident, family and staff together.
Dementia Symptoms May Have Other Causes — And Be Reversible
Sometimes symptoms that mimic dementia are due to other causes. In the elderly, infections, dietary deficiencies, reactions to medications, stress or depression all can bring on forgetfulness, paranoia, mood swings and other indicators that doctors and family members assume are caused by dementia.
Minneapolis Park Board OKs Woonerf for Ecumen Mill City Project
Ecumen is among a trio of developers working to bring affordable senior housing to downtown Minneapolis in the Mill City district along the riverfront. One of the acclaimed features of the development is a “woonerf” — a Dutch-inspired concept for a shared pedestrian, bike and car street that will run between two apartment buildings. Last week, the Minneapolis Park Board approved the plans for the woonerf.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
Ecumen Parmly LifePointes Roars Back to the Twenties
The Ecumen Parmly LifePointes annual candlelight dinner Thursday night was the bee’s knees. The Chisago City joint was jumpin’ to jazz as gangsters and flappers mingled at the annual event that brings resident, family and staff together.
This year’s theme was “Speakeasy Soiree.” The annual dinner began as a Valentine’s Day celebration and has grown to become one of the most anticipated Parmly social events. It started as an elegant dinner and evolved into a full production of entertainment, decorations and costumes.
About 100 residents, 60 family members and 25 volunteers attended. The photo booth offering gangster mug shots was a huge hit, along with entertainment by Carl Kronowski and the Forest Lake High School Jazz Band.
At Isabelle’s House, the memory care community, family and residents enjoyed a “Spring Fling” theme evening with food and conversation and harp music.
Thank You, Chuck Zimmerman, For Changing Aging
Chuck Zimmerman retires today after more than 35 years of changing aging as an Ecumen Operations executive. This is his story.
Dementia Symptoms May Have Other Causes — And Be Reversible
Don't assume dementia symptoms always mean a dementia diagnosis.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Lila Myers
Ecumen honors Lila Myers, a resident of Ecumen Evergreens of Fargo, who is 100.
A Housekeeper at Ecumen North Branch Helps Rebuild a Remote Philippines Village
Halfway around the world in the tiny tropical Philippine barrio of Navitas on the island of Panay live about 150 elderly poor who have an angel looking out for them in North Branch, Minn. Her name is Luz Pedersen.
Top 5 Blog Posts — March 2
Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:
Minneapolis Park Board OKs Woonerf for Ecumen Mill City Project
Ecumen is among a trio of developers working to bring affordable senior housing to downtown Minneapolis in the Mill City district along the riverfront. One of the acclaimed features of the development is a “woonerf” — a Dutch-inspired concept for a shared pedestrian, bike and car street that will run between two apartment buildings. Last week, the Minneapolis Park Board approved the plans for the woonerf.
Ecumen Director Barbara Garrity Graduates From LeadingAge Leadership Program
Barbara Garrity, executive director of Ecumen-managed Pelican Valley Health Center in Pelican Rapids, Minn., has graduated from the year-long LeadingAge Minnesota Leadership Academy. The academy, which has been operating for five years, is a comprehensive development program to hone the leadership skills of emerging leaders in the aging services field. LeadingAge Minnesota is the state’s largest association of organizations serving Minnesota seniors.
Ecumen Donors Don and Joan Bungum: Benevolence Personified
Don and Joan Bungum, pillars of the Chisago County community, are generous donors of time and money to the care of seniors.
The Dallas Morning News: The Toll Alzheimer's Disease Has Taken on the Rhinestone Cowboy
Article by Pamela Yip, The Dallas Morning News: Alzheimer’s disease plays no favorites. It’s the Great Equalizer. Just ask Kim Campbell, wife of singer Glen Campbell, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2011 and now lives in a memory care community in Nashville. Read the full article online: The Toll Alzheimer's Disease has Taken on the Rhinestone Cowboy on www.dallasnews.com
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 103rd Birthday Irene Polsfuss
Irene Polsfuss, a resident of Ecumen Lakeview Commons, celebrated her 103rd birthday.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Lois McKinnon
Ecumen honors Lois McKinnon, a resident of Ecumen Lakeview Commons, who is 100.
Minneapolis Park Board OKs Woonerf for Ecumen Mill City Project
Ecumen is among a trio of developers working to bring senior housing to downtown Minneapolis in the Mill City district along the riverfront. One of the acclaimed features of the development is a “woonerf” — a Dutch-inspired concept for a shared pedestrian, bike and car street that will run between two apartment buildings.
The woonerf will provide public access to the riverfront, acting as a gateway to the Minneapolis Park Department’s riverfront trail system and to a new waterfront park now in the planning stages.
Last week, the Minneapolis Park Board approved the plans for the woonerf. The story below, reprinted from Finance & Commerce, gives the details.
By: Cali Owings, Finance and Commerce February 23, 2015
A shared street that accommodates bikes, pedestrians and vehicles through the Mill City Quarter project in downtown Minneapolis was approved last week by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as a privately owned public space.
The board approved a parkland development and easement agreement for the shared street — known as a “woonerf” — through the mixed-use development on Third Avenue South that would pass under the First Street Bridge and lead to the Mississippi River, where the park board has trails.
Eagle Iron Partners, collaboration among Lupe Development, the Wall Cos. and nonprofit developer Ecumen, is planning two buildings with workforce housing, senior housing and retail on two parking lots formerly owned by the city.
Under the agreement, a $62,400 park dedication fee is waived in exchange for the private land dedicated for public use. A woonerf is a Dutch concept for a shared bike, pedestrian and car street on which vehicles move at slower speeds.
The developers received a $500,000 transitoriented development grant for the project from the Metropolitan
Council and a $150,000 grant from Hennepin County. Several developers are incorporating woonerfs to direct traffic flow through larger mixeduse projects.
Developer Steve Minn, principal at Lupe Development, shared the concept with members of the Park Board at its meeting last week.
But members of the Park Board raised concerns about how public the street would actually be because the developer plans to install and control a gate that limits public access. Minn said the gate would be locked during nonpark hours to keep homeless people and others from loitering near the development. He added that it was an important safety mechanism because some of the residents in Ecumen’s 149unit senior housing development would be vulnerable adults.
The Park Board approved the agreement, while noting that the developers planned to further analyze whether the gate is needed once the development is complete.
Ecumen Director Barbara Garrity Graduates From LeadingAge Leadership Program
Barbara Garrity, executive director of Ecumen-managed Pelican Valley Health Center in Pelican Rapids, Minn., has graduated from the year-long LeadingAge Minnesota Leadership Academy.