Dr. John Brose on Dementia Care: It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
Dr. John Brose, a Minneapolis psychologist and consultant to Ecumen, is nationally renowned for his pioneering efforts to make life better for the elderly and disabled. Experiences early in his career moved him to speak up for those who could not speak for themselves. Here is his compelling story.
KEYC-TV Mankato: Ecumen Awarded Grant To Expand Dementia Care Program
Media in Mankato, Hutchinson and Le Center talk about Ecumen Awakenings grant.
11 Effective Stress-Reducing Activities From Americans Who Know
11 ways Americans who experience a great deal of stress are reducing their stress levels.
Oh, That Beautiful Doll Returns to Ecumen North Branch
Eva Gale fell totally in love with the doll that her father gave her more than 80 years ago when she was only four years old. She felt such a connection that she named it “Eva Gale.”
She never stopped loving her precious doll. But time was not good to her namesake. The doll’s face was cracked, her fingers were broken and her paint was chipped. 
One day a few months ago, Eva wished out loud that her favorite doll could be restored. The staff at Ecumen North Branch, where she lives, heard her wish and rallied to make it come true. Debbie Appleby, a social worker at Ecumen North Branch, knew from previous experience that Demi’s Doll Studio in St. Louis Park could do the job.
The restoration was extremely complex and time-consuming, but after 5 months, Demi Gilbertson of Demi’s Doll Studio returned the doll to Eva. And Eva, overjoyed, sang: “Oh you beautiful doll, you great big beautiful doll.”
Like Eva, Debbie was also excited about the results. “It brought tears to my eyes,” she stated. “Her face lit up. When she was given the doll, she held it close to her and was hugging her.”
Eva proudly displays the doll at the end of her bed, and takes any opportunity she can to show off her prized possession.
Below, Demi describes in her own words how she restored the doll: 
Eva Gale (the doll) is best known as an Effanbee Mama doll. Produced by the Effanbee Doll Company of New York (also known as F&B) this doll was manufactured some 80+ years ago. She is made from what is referred to as composition; wood shavings, sawdust and glue, heat pressed into molds. Once the molds cooled, pieces (heads, hands, feet; bodies) were then glued together, sanded, painted, and sealed. Dolls like Eva Gale had cloth bodies stuffed with straw or raw cotton and her facial features were hand-painted.
Composition is a medium created to produce what doll manufacturers hoped would be an unbreakable doll. However, doll makers did not take into consideration the effects that nature would have on these dolls like humidity, heat, and a loving child’s delight at bathing their dolly. Water is said to be the worst enemy of composition. Unless extremely well taken care of and properly stored, humidity can seep into the smallest crack in the paint causing fine lines to appear, even in the joints where the doll’s arms and legs connect to their body. This is called “crazing.”
Humidity combined with other factors like heat or sunlight produces moisture and drying that lifts the paint and causes huge cracks. Gone unattended, these cracks can lift from the composition, curl, warp, and eventually break or drop off.
The first thing that had to be done to Eva Gale was to remove all the warped, flaking paint from her head, arms, and legs. She was then sanded until any rough edges from the paint were smooth. A wood filler was then used to fill those areas where the composition was exposed. After all areas were filled and smoothed, the pieces were left to cure for several days. When cured, the head, arms, and legs were sanded down and examined for spots that needed further fill. This process continued until I was pleased with the result and it looked ready to be primed for painting. Depending on the doll, the fill/cure process can take 2-5 times before I am pleased with the result.
Once ready for painting, I worked first on Eva Gale’s arms and legs. I believe she had a couple of fingers missing that needed to be re-sculpted. Once the fingers were rebuilt and sanded, the arms and legs received three layers of primer. They then received four layers of paint (sanding in between each coat). The limbs were then sealed with three layers of an acrylic sealer which protects the paint from moisture and also gives a soft glow to the item.
I then moved on to Eva Gale’s head. It was difficult matching the color of her hair because I do not airbrush. I use a dry-brush technique that I developed over the years. After numerous attempts, however, I achieved a good match and the first coat of the hair color was applied. During the same time, the doll received her first coat of flesh-tone for the face and remainder of the head. This process continued for several days with sanding in between each coat. I believe in all, Eva Gale received 9-10 coats of head/hair primer and color. The eyes, lashes, brows, mouth, and cheeks were then hand-painted with several coats. The hair and facial tones were then blended to transition the face from the molded hair. When dried, three coats of sealer were applied to the face.
Eva then needed to be reassembled. Her body, which had been completely washed and repaired, was reattached to her arms and legs. The body was stuffed the body and the head reattached. Her dress is an antique child’s dress. I replaced the gray satin ribbon with pink and accentuated with bows. Well over 100 hours was involved in the repair of Eva Gale.
Last Week's Top 5 Blog Posts- August 4
Thrifty White Pharmacy, Memory Care coming to Pelican Valley, Baby Boomers, The Case of the Disappearing Hearing Aid, and a Superior Way of Life at Ecumen Lakeshore..
In case you missed out on the latest news, here are the blog posts our online visitors found most interesting last week:
Thrifty White Pharmacy: Ecumen's Innovative Partner in Making Seniors' Lives Better
Pelican Valley Health Center Plans To Add Memory Care Services
The Case of the Disappearing Hearing Aid- By Jim Klobuchar
Duluthian Magazine Features "A Superior Way of Life" at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth
To read more Changing Aging blog posts or to learn more about Ecumen, please visit www.ecumen.org!
Ecumen Awarded Grant To Expand Its Awakenings Dementia Care Program To Assisted Living Communities
Ecumen has been awarded a $265,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to fund expansion of its nationally recognized Ecumen Awakenings™ dementia care program into its assisted living communities.
Ecumen Names Directors To Head Expanded Alzheimer’s Care Program
Ecumen has named two directors to lead the expansion of its nationally recognized Ecumen Awakenings™ program that emphasizes managing dementia without highly sedating drugs.
Maria Reyes, a registered nurse who has been instrumental in the development of the program, has been promoted to Awakenings Project Director in charge of clinical quality and training as Awakenings expands from nursing homes to assisted living sites and home care. A sought-after speaker on nursing and dementia care, Reyes has worked in nursing homes, assisted living and home care and held several key leadership roles at Ecumen, including serving as a Director of Nursing, establishing a new short-term rehabilitation center, and helping launch an Ecumen home care agency as Clinical Director.
Janelle Meyers, the Housing Manager at Ecumen Prairie Lodge in Brooklyn Park, Minn., since 2005, has been promoted to the new position of Ecumen Programming Director with responsibility for handling the business side of Awakenings and other company initiatives. Meyers is a Fellow in the LeadingAge Leadership Academy, a board member and vice-chair of the Brooklyn Center Business Association and has served on the conference committee of the Minnesota Gerontological Society since 2011. At Ecumen Prairie Lodge, she created a renowned program for behavioral management to handle some of the most challenging types of dementia.
The Awakenings approach to dementia care started as a pilot program in 2009 at Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors, Minn. With a grant from the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Ecumen expanded and developed the program in all 15 of its nursing homes in 2010. Awakenings is an integrated care approach in which 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.
In 2013 Awakenings received the Aging Services of Minnesota’s Leading Change Innovation Award and in 2014 received the National Excellence in Dementia Care Award presented by LeadingAge, the national association for non-profit aging services providers. Ecumen Awakenings also 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. Go to www.ecumenawakenings.org for more information.
Ecumen Prairie Lodge Introduces Job Opportunities to Banyan Community Students
Students from the Banyan Community had an opportunity to tour Ecumen Prairie Lodge and learn about the various jobs available in senior housing.
The Banyan Community’s primary mission is to help youth go to college, graduate and succeed as adults. The program works with youth of all ages in the Philips neighborhood of South Minneapolis, providing opportunities to gain leadership skills and experience. The Banyan Community’s philosophy centers on students succeeding through connection and engagement within their communities.
A panel of Ecumen Prairie Lodge staff gave insight into their roles within Ecumen. Panel members also told of their educational paths and years of experience. Employees encouraged students to find their passion through volunteerism and involvement in their communities.
With the ever-growing need for employees in senior housing, visits like these are crucial. “The population of older adults who will need assistance is growing and will continue to grow,” said Prairie Lodge Housing Manager, Janelle Meyers. “These visits help plant seeds in a young person’s mind about what the diverse career possibilities associated with the field of aging are. We need to get young people interested in a career in aging services because we will always need people to care for people.”
Not only was the visit important to Ecumen Prairie Lodge, but students also enjoyed their time. One student remarked, “I really want to help people and it seems like I would love it there.”
To learn more about Banyan Community and their mission, please visit http://www.banyancommunity.org.
Ecumen Scenic Shores: Residents to Explore Music and Memory
Local pastor Jim Joseph is helping Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors, Minn., kick off a new "Music and Memory" program. Learn more about Joseph's efforts and how local organizations have pitched in to support a program that brings those living with dementia and Alzheimer's comfort and joy without medication.
Lake County News Chronicle article by LaReesa Sandretsky: "Ecumen Residents to Explore Music and Memory"
Our thanks to Mr. Joseph, Neighbor to Neighbor Thrift Store, the Two Harbors Christian Ministerial Association and First Baptist Church in Two Harbors for their support.