Gus the Dog Charms Ecumen Lakeview Commons Residents
Gus is in the business of making people happy, and residents of Ecumen Lakeview Commons are his best clients.
Gus, the year-and-a-half-old Border Collie roams the halls of Lakeview Commons in Maplewood, Minn., and always finds someone to play with. He even knows which rooms he can go to get a treat.
“His main role is to bring cheer,” says Lakeview Commons Director of Therapeutic Recreation Jen Rasmussen. “Residents can be having a bad day and in 30 seconds Gus can change their mood.”
Jen says that the best moments with Gus and the residents are unstructured. Residents often take Gus for a walk, or play fetch with him outside. Also, structured events with memory care residents have had a great therapeutic impact. Programs give memory care residents the opportunity to play with Gus, brush him and most importantly spark conversation. Many residents begin talking about dogs that they once owned, reminding them of home.
“Lakeview Commons is like one big home, and Gus helps that,” says Jen.
Ecumen Honored With “Best Places To Work” Award by Business Journal
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has announced that Ecumen will receive a “Best Places to Work” award — for the ninth time in the past decade.
The award is based on the high marks employees gave in an anonymous survey on topics such as work environment, people practices and how things work day-to-day.
In a congratulatory email to Ecumen employees, Robin Dunbar Balck, Ecumen’s Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Strategic Alignment, said: “Thank you for all that you do to support our customers and your coworkers. After all, great people make great places to live and work! Only with the hard work and talent of our employees are we able to gain such wonderful recognition.”
Ecumen is among 53 companies who will receive the award at an Aug. 14, 2014, reception and be featured in the Aug. 15 Weekly Edition of the Business Journal.
Go here to read the Business Journal’s announcement and see a video on the winners.