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."


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. 


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 Velocity Class of 2014 Photo

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.


Ecumen Velocity Class of 2014 Photo

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 Velocity Class of 2014 Photo

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.

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Ecumen CEO Kathryn Roberts and Roger Bock

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.

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Ecumen CEO Kathryn Roberts and Roger Bock

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 Awakenings Insights on Going Beyond Drugs to Calm ‘Behaviors’ of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

Shelley Matthes, a nurse and Ecumen's Director of Quality, shares thoughts on going beyond drugs to calm behaviors in care for Alzheimer's and other dementias.

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Reframing Our Country's Thinking on Care for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias

A new post by Shelley Matthes, Director of Quality Improvement at Ecumen, on overcoming outmoded thinking related to Alzheimer's care and care for related dementias.

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