Ecumen Selected as Finalist for Minnesota Real Estate Journal Awards
Ecumen Selected as Finalist for Minnesota Real Estate Journal Awards
By CorrineMcCallum | March 9, 2023
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (March 9, 2023) — The Hillock, an Ecumen living space consisting of 100 affordable senior housing apartments, has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 Minnesota Real Journal Awards in the “Affordable Housing – Urban” category. These awards showcase the top real estate developments and achievements in Minnesota over the past year.
“More than just a place to call home, The Hillock is a community of its own within the vibrant Longfellow community,” said Ecumen Senior Director of Business Development, Anne Stanfield. “We are committed to bringing high-quality affordable housing for even more older adults, and we’re delighted that The Hillock has been such a success already.”
Click here to read more about the awards.
To learn more about The Hillock — Affordable Housing for Seniors 55+, click here.
About Ecumen
Ecumen is a nonprofit provider, developer and operator of award-winning living spaces and innovative technology and services for older adults. Mission-driven since its founding in 1862, Ecumen’s legacy of service is a reflection of a commitment to honoring those it serves. Ecumen is based in Shoreview, Minn., and operates properties and services in multiple states, and provides new development, management and consulting services. Housing options include cooperative living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care communities. Its diverse in-home and community-based services include home care, hospice, physical and occupational therapy, adult day services, technology products and an online durable goods medical store. For more information, visit ecumen.org.
Ecumen Lakeshore Team Member Receives a Special Thank You
Ecumen Lakeshore Team Member Receives a Special Thank You
By CorrineMcCallum | February 21, 2023
DULUTH, MN (February 21, 2023) — Gratitude goes a long way. You could say it goes as far as a 2.5-hour long road trip from Pequot Lakes, MN, to Duluth, MN, in a snowstorm.
After beating COVID-19, Dean found that he was still struggling with his breathing, and at the end of February 2022, he had developed a very bad cough which turned into a case of pneumonia. From there, his physical and mental health declined. He found himself struggling with panic attacks, shortness of breath and a debilitating cough. After being admitted to hospital after hospital, and multiple bronchoscopies later, the family was still struggling to find an exact answer as to what was going on.
The day of discharge from a Duluth hospital, Dean tested positive for COVID-19 again. He was sent home to recover. Once back in Pequot Lakes, Dean was still having panic attacks and low oxygen levels. Dean and LaDonna needed answers. Dean was finally airlifted to Mayo Clinic in Rochester as he was declining rapidly.
Upon arrival, it was determined that the virus had settled deep within his lungs, causing many issues, and requiring him to be in isolation for almost two months. LaDonna was told to head back home to Pequot Lakes as she couldn’t see Dean in person. Dean found himself lonely and depressed. “Nurses would come into my room to check on me, but there was no conversing, no human-touch, nothing,” Dean said. “That is what I missed the most.”
After a long and challenging 80 days in and out of hospitals, Dean and LaDonna began looking at transitional care units (TCU) but found that many wouldn’t take him due to the level of care he needed.
It was at that time that Dean and LaDonna were introduced to Ecumen Lakeshore — The Fountains Transitional Care. Without hesitation, Ecumen Lakeshore admitted him on a Friday afternoon.
“We drove into the parking lot and there were three nurses aides waiting for us, ready to help,” said LaDonna. “They were fantastic from day one.”
Dean still had a long road to recovery, but the care he received at Ecumen Lakeshore helped him recover quicker than he thought. “I saw smiling faces and heard words of encouragement from the moment I entered Ecumen,” he said. “That is what you need when you’re healing.”
Throughout his physical and occupational therapy, Dean immediately connected with Hannah, an Ecumen Occupational Therapist. “Hannah and Dean just clicked right away,” LaDonna said. “She was the answer to our prayers.” Hannah was the highlight of Dean’s day. He couldn’t wait to see her!
Because the long hospitalizations and recovery process had taken a toll on Dean’s mental health, Hannah took the time to determine the best ways to support Dean through his anxiety. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Dean said. “She’s an angel, no question about it.”
Once he was discharged, Dean knew he needed to see Hannah again and thank her for saving his life. “I wanted to show her how far I have come since my stay at Lakeshore,” Dean said.
So, Dean and LaDonna made the 2.5 hour trek to Duluth from their home in Pequot Lakes to surprise Hannah during her lunch break. When Hannah realized it was Dean, she cried and hugged him for two minutes straight.
Dean is now back home, building a woodshop, shoveling snow and finally enjoying retired life up north with LaDonna.
“Don’t give up. There are people that care. You never know when you’ll meet your angel,” Dean said. Dean met his at Ecumen Lakeshore.
About Ecumen
Ecumen is a nonprofit provider, developer and operator of award-winning living spaces and innovative technology and services for older adults. Mission-driven since its founding in 1862, Ecumen’s legacy of service is a reflection of a commitment to honoring those it serves. Ecumen is based in Shoreview, Minn., and operates properties and services in multiple states, and provides new development, management and consulting services. Housing options include cooperative living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care communities. Its diverse in-home and community-based services include home care, hospice, physical and occupational therapy, adult day services, technology products and an online durable goods medical store. For more information, visit ecumen.org.
Ecumen Lakeshore Gets Creative to Offer Outdoor Visits
Ecumen Lakeshore gets creative to offer outdoor visits
The Minnesota Department of Health recently released guidelines allowing one designated “essential caregiver” to enter the long-term facility in order to help with care.
Before long-term care facilities began restricting visitors back in March to keep the new coronavirus at bay, Tim Gilberg of Duluth would join his 89-year-old father nearly every evening for dinner at Ecumen Lakeshore’s assisted living facility.
After work, he’d hop in his vehicle and make the drive from Verso paper mill to the large campus across town on London Road to share a meal with his father, Derry Gilberg.
“Some people thought I lived here,” Tim said. “It worked out well for me. I didn’t have to go home, cook and do the dishes. I got to visit with everybody, all the workers and the residents.”
More than 100 days have passed since the father and son have been able carry out their routines: going for drives together on Saturday mornings, stopping for a bite to eat at Tappa Keg Inn.
“That was a big change for me,” Tim said. “I always enjoy coming to pick him up and take him for a ride. Now I can’t.”
His father, Derry, added: “I looked forward to going fishing and going to breakfast.”
It wasn’t until Father’s Day that the two were allowed to sit down together — face mask to face mask — outside following the Minnesota Department of Health’s release of guidelines on offering outdoor visits between long-term care facility residents and their loved ones. Before that the two stayed in touch through multiple phone calls a day and waves through the window.
On Friday, the health department released additional guidelines that would allow residents of long-term care facilities to be designated one “essential caregiver.” Those assigned individuals will be able to enter the buildings and assist with daily care needs. Facilities like Ecumen Lakeshore have until July 25 to review the guidelines and draft their own plans.
Those caregivers will need to wear eye and face coverings. For some residents, especially those with hearing impairments, communicating from behind masks poses real challenges. Which is why there are now two three-sided Plexiglas booths outside Ecumen that residents can sit in to safely visit family and friends without having to wear a face covering.
From behind a Plexiglas wall, Derry was able to visit unmasked with his son Saturday, and being able to read lips and facial expressions helped.
“Otherwise it’s just mouth mush,” Derry said.
“It’s better than nothing,” Tim said of the outdoor visits he has to schedule in advance online. He estimated the two have visited about eight times since allowed.
Jena Evans, community relations manager for Ecumen Lakeshore, said the visitation booths are especially popular among residents with dementia. Overall, the campus’ memory care residents see the highest number of visitors.
“Connections are important for everybody, for any age, any ability or disability, but for our memory care (residents) they’re incredibly important just for their overall happiness,” Evans said “We see that they’re just overall happier when they have familiar people from their life.”
Under the health department’s latest new guidelines Evans said not all residents will be assigned an essential caregiver who will be allowed to enter the building. Since those guidelines only allow for one visitor, she said the Plexiglas stations provide a way for residents, especially those who have difficulty wearing a mask, to see more than just one family member.
“Having this broad range of choices helps to extend the opportunities for our residents to have these meaningful connections,” Evans said.
Following the recent steps toward allowing outdoor visits, beginning this week, assisted living residents at Ecumen Lakeshore will be able to join in group activities and eat together in the dining room for the first time in months with physical distancing emphasized.
Ecumen President & CEO Shelley Kendrick Named to YMCA Twin Cities Board of Directors
Shelley Kendrick, President and CEO of Ecumen, has been named to the YMCA Twin Cities Board of Directors. "I greatly admire the work of the YMCA and am very proud to join the thought leaders on this Board, supporting the important goals of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility."
Shelley Kendrick Joins Select Thought Leaders on the International Council on Active Aging's COVID-19 Senior Living Task Force
Shelley Kendrick joins select thought leaders and prominent industry associations from across North America on the International Council on Active Aging's (ICAA) COVID-19 Senior Living Task Force. With a focus on the health, safety, and quality of life of residents and staff, the Task Force will develop, in conjunction with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), guidance for senior living organizations as they plan when and how they will safely reopen. Shelley said, "I was honored to be asked to join this task force and help find solutions to assist those we serve during and after COVID."
Ecumen Named Among 6 Senior Living Providers to Watch in 2020
Ecumen: Leading the way in nonprofit innovation
February 3, 2020 | Published by Senior Housing News | Article by Chuck Sudo
Although nonprofit senior living providers have shown an appetite for growth through affiliation in recent years, they have lost market share to their for-profit counterparts, who have greater willingness to assume risk for the sake of growth and innovation.
One exception to the rule is Ecumen, which has embraced several of the strategies for-profits have used to build scale. The Shoreview, Minnesota-based provider has a portfolio of 30 communities in eight states totaling 2,109 units and ranked 33rd on the 2019 LZ 200 list of top nonprofit providers. More important, Ecumen has transformed .... [Click here to view the full article]
Zvago St. Anthony Park Wins Top Real Estate Development Honor
Zvago St. Anthony Park Wins Top Real Estate Development Honor
Morshed Alam Named Ecumen Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Morshed (Mo) Alam, has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Ecumen.Read more
Ecumen CEO Emeritus Kathryn Roberts Receives Top Career Achievement Award
Ecumen CEO Emeritus Kathryn Roberts received the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2019 Career Achievement Award at the 2019 Women in Business luncheon and expo May 23, 2019.
Kathryn accepted the award before the more than 900 attendees, saying, “I am especially proud to be rounding out my career at a time when so many more women – a room full of them here today – are leading, succeeding and, most importantly, making this world a better place – because we care deeply about what comes after us.”
The May 24 edition of the Business Journal featured Kathryn on the cover, and the newspaper produced a tribute video from her friends and colleagues talking about her stellar career. You can click on the video below, or go to this link.
Congratulations Kathryn, and thank you for your leadership at Ecumen!
