Two Ecumen Communities Receive National Award for Service Excellence
Two Ecumen communities have been nationally recognized as "Caring Stars of 2015," by Caring.com, a leading senior care website.
Top 5 Blog Posts — January 26
Did you miss last week’s most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen’s online visitors found these articles most interesting:
Her shift starts at 6 a.m. Dawn Bolhuis, LPN, a long-term care nurse at Ecumen Pathstone Living in Mankato, Minn., will not be late. Her residents depend on her, and, like every other morning, she can't wait to see how they are doing today. And they can't wait to see her.
The Minnesota State Arts Board has awarded grants totaling just over $46,000 to three Ecumen communities to encourage artistic development and creativity among older adults through the Partners in Arts Participation program.
Table for Two Old Guys — By Ecumen Blogger Jim Klobuchar
Across the lunch table, two eighty-something guys have a meeting of the hearts.
Oscar Contender "Still Alice" Dramatically Captures Alzheimer's
Critics are raving about the movie "Still Alice" and Julianne Moore's compelling performance as a 50-year-old mother, wife and college professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. In the clip below from NBC News, the actress talks about her determination to give an accurate portrayal of the disease that affects more than five million Americans.
Ecumen Bethany Community Hosts a Modern Quilting Bee To Benefit Area Food Shelf
Residents at Ecumen Bethany had a wish: To help those less fortunate. So they put their skills to work to raise money for the area food shelf.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
Table for Two Old Guys — By Ecumen Blogger Jim Klobuchar
Across the lunch table, two eighty-something guys have a meeting of the hearts.
Furless Fred, Part 2: Fred Grows Into His Fur
Remember Furless Fred at Ecumen Lakeview Commons? He's not furless anymore. One year later, he's back in the game.
Ecumen Lakeview Commons Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Ecumen Lakeview Commons in Maplewood, Minn., celebrated its 20th anniversary December 16, 2014, at a festive holiday gathering of more than 100 residents, community leaders and Ecumen staff.
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell officially represented the city, telling guests “we are honored to have such a great organization as Ecumen providing easy access to health and home care for our city’s seniors and also being an incredible employer. This is a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful people.”
“We are proud to offer exceptional care,” Ecumen Lakeview Commons Housing Manager Glory Hill told the guests. “Our residents are our family, and sometimes we also become part of their family, too.”
To “re-dedicate” the community, Maryann Schaefer, Sales and Marketing Director of Ecumen Lakeview Commons, led a ribbon-cutting and toast ceremony along with representatives of the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce.
Shelley Kendrick, Ecumen Vice President of Operations, gave a brief history of Ecumen Lakeview Commons and said: “We look forward to another 20 years of success and community and in honoring our resident’s choice to make this their home.”
Ecumen Century Club: Guthrie Theater Legend Annette Garceau Celebrates Her 101st Birthday
Legendary Guthrie Theater costume designer Annette Garceau, a resident of Ecumen Lakeview Commons in Maplewood, Minn., is celebrating her 101st birthday today.
From Caring.com: So Your Parent Wants to Move in With You - Can You Afford It?
Families have many options to consider as parents age and their lifestyle and needs change. One of those options is having parents move into their adult child's home.
Caring.com senior editor Melanie Haiken shared seven financial tips when considering this type of living situation for your family, based on her friend's experience and suggestions from financial planning experts.
In her article, Haiken's suggestions include:
1. Create a "caregiving budget."
2. Figure out how much your parent can contribute.
3. Calculate a fair contribution for the parent to make to household expenses.
4. Call on siblings to contribute.
5. Keep track of additional costs and share those, too.
6. Don't be afraid to hire outside caregiving help and share that expense.
7. What about being paid for your time?
Click here to read the full article, "So Your Parent Wants to Move In With You - Can You Afford It?" by Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor
Last Week's Top 5 Blog Posts - May 12
In case you missed one, here are the blog posts our online visitors found most interesting last week:
On National Nurses Day: Honoring Anne Diekmann, Exemplary Ecumen Nurse
What It's Like to be 100 Years Old, in 10 Charts
The Minnesota Boychoir Brings Early Mother's Day Joy to the Residents at Ecumen Lakeview Commons
Changing Aging Video: Ashley, LPN at Ecumen Bethany Community
Young Man's 89-Year-Old Prom Date Gets a Standing Ovation
To read more Changing Aging blog posts or to learn more about Ecumen, please visit ecumen.org.
The Minnesota Boychoir Brings Early Mother’s Day Joy To the Residents at Ecumen Lakeview Commons
The Minnesota Boychoir performed an early Mother’s Day concert at Ecumen Lakeview Commons on Saturday, May 3, to a packed house of residents, guests and caregivers.
The Cantar and Cantando ensembles performed “Why We Sing,” including “Pie Jesu” and “Wynken, Blynken and Nod,” and closing with “I’ll Make the Difference.” The choir members handed out gerbera daisies to the women in the audience following their performance.
“My grandma left with two daisies and the biggest smile on her face!” said Amy Williams, who is Ecumen’s major gifts officer. “The residents had a fantastic time. There was plenty of toe-tapping, clapping, and even some shouts of encouragement from the audience. The choirs were really fantastic and the flowers they gave at the end of the program were lovely and meaningful.”
Jen Rasmussen, the activity director at Ecumen Lakeview Commons, said residents are still talking about how great the boys could sing at such a young age and how cute they all are. “We had 70 boys in our lobby for almost three hours and every single one of them was a class act,” Jen said. “They were so very polite, quiet and sweet to the residents.”
The Boychoir “welcomes and embraces members of diverse faiths, races, and social and economic backgrounds.” Boys ages 7 to 18 come from communities throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area and perform in one of three ensemble groups – Cantar, Cantabile or Allegro – and are led by artistic director Mark S. Johnson.
“This is a good place to be for a lot of boys. Lots of kids search for a place to be – to belong. Here, boys with a common interest in singing can hang out, become friends and grow together, both as singers and as young men,” said Johnson, who was quoted in the Boychoir’s program.
The choir, founded in 1962, is celebrating its 50th anniversary season of providing choral music training, education and performance opportunities. Upcoming free concerts will be held in St. Paul on Saturday, May 31, and Minneapolis on Sunday, June 8. Visit www.boychoir.org for more information.
Ecumen Lakeview Commons in Maplewood, Minn., offers enriching activities and performances for residents and their families every week. To learn more about upcoming events or how to volunteer, please call 651-770-1111 or visit www.lakeviewcommons.org.
Ecumen Lakeview Commons Residents Treated to a Valentine's Day Surprise
Residents of Ecumen Lakeview Commons in Maplewood, Minn., were targeted for a creative act of kindness on Valentine’s Day by children in the “Day 11” movement, who showed up smiles, candy and handmade Valentine cards with a “Love is:______” theme.
Thank you to Alyssa, DJ, Kenzie, Catie, Kaden and Kale for handing out Valentine's cards and sharing your love and bright spirits with our residents on behalf of The Day 11 Project.
“The Day 11 Project” is all about the joy of helping others in creative new ways and making the world a better place to live.
