A Dream Come True for Nancy Abrahamson at Ecumen Scenic Shores
Eighty-year-old Nancy Abrahamson’s dream of a high school diploma came true at Ecumen Scenic Shores Care Center in Two Harbors, Minn.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 103rd Birthday Philip Dufresne
Ecumen honors Philip Dufresne, a resident of Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors, Minn.,who is 103.
Minnesota Near the Top in Senior Services Says AARP Report
An AARP report ranks Minnesota second in the nation in overall quality of services for older adults.
Ecumen Scenic Shores Residents Feel the Beat
There’s something primal about beating drums that brings people together.
Five Ecumen Sites Get National “Best Nursing Home” Rating from U.S. News & World Report
Five Ecumen owned and managed sites in Minnesota have received a “Best Nursing Home” rating by U.S. News & World Report magazine.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 102nd Birthday Philip Dufresne
Ecumen honors Philip Dufresne, a resident of Ecumen Scenic Shores, who is 102.
Ecumen Scenic Shores Gets Medicare’s Highest 5-Star Quality Rating
Ecumen Scenic Shores Care Center in Two Harbors, Minn., has received the highest possible overall quality rating of 5 stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
The quality rating system ranges from 1 to 5 stars, with a 5-star rating given to nursing homes that offer exceptional care to their residents. The Five-Star Quality Rating System is based on health inspections, staffing data (the number of hours of care provided to each resident by nursing staff), and quality measures (how well a nursing home cares for residents’ physical and clinical needs).
Ecumen Scenic Shores is the only care center in a 50-mile radius to receive 5 Stars.
“Receiving the 5-Star Quality Rating is a major accomplishment,” said Steve Baukner, Executive Director of Ecumen Scenic Shores. “The rating is expert validation of the exceptional care we provide. This is one of the highest compliments our outstanding staff can receive.”
CMS created the rating system to provide residents and their families with an easy way to understand and compare quality and simplify decisions around choosing a care center. Five stars is considered “much above average” and only a quarter of care centers in Minnesota received this rating. The CMS Nursing Home Compare website is at https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html.
Ecumen Scenic Shores is located at 402 13th Avenue, Two Harbors. In addition to providing nursing home and short-stay rehabilitation care, Ecumen Scenic Shores also offers assisted living. For more information call 218-834-8374 or visit www.ecumenscenicshores.org.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 101st Birthday Eleanor Trewhella
Ecumen honors Eleanor Trewhella, a resident of Ecumen Scenic Shores, who is 101.
Top Five Blog Posts - September 15
In case you missed out on one of our most popular Changing Aging blog posts, here are the stories our online visitors found most interesting last week:
Ecumen Pedicab Provides New Lakeshore Ride in Duluth
Ecumen New Richland Housing Manager Christina Cauble Has a Passion for Creating Home
St. Croix Hospice Wins Annual Golf Outing, Helps Raise Money for Alzheimer's Care
The Gift of GAB to Young and Old at Ecumen Scenic Shores
To read more Changing Aging stories or to learn morea bout Ecumen, please visit www.ecumen.org.
The Gift of GAB to Young and Old at Ecumen Scenic Shores
Michelle Carlson, the recreation director at Ecumen Scenic Shores in Two Harbors, Minn., kept hearing a common theme when she talked to residents: They wished they could be more active in the community.
This was especially true of the residents who are not Two Harbors natives. They said they would love to go to games at the high school, or be involved in other community activities. But they didn’t feel comfortable going alone.
Michelle had been working with the high school on other things, and she knew that high school kids also were looking for ways to be more involved and give back to the community.
She was also working with “Age to age,” a program supported by the Northland Foundation that funds a summer intern program to promote intergenerational relationships in the community, including sending interns to Ecumen Scenic Shores.
In meetings about the intern program, Michelle mentioned the desire of residents to go places and do things. Everybody started talking, one thought led to another, and in July a new program called GAB was born. GAB stands for Generations of Ages Bonding, and it’s designed to match high school students with Scenic Shores residents and accompany them to activities and events at the school and in the community — including art and music, as well as sports.
Michelle currently is in the process of explaining how GAB will work to each of the 43 residents individually. Her goal is to match every resident with a student who is eager to be part of the program. She says enthusiasm is high among students, teachers and residents.
When school starts this week, there will be a table for students to sign up and a student-produced video [see below] will be showing in classrooms to recruit volunteers. The first football game is in two weeks, and undoubtedly Scenic Shores residents will be cheering in the stands.
Plans also are underway to have quarterly events that gather all participants to celebrate, take stock and just get to know one another, Michelle says.
See the recruiting video below, urging prospective student volunteers to sign up and “learn from the most experienced generation in the community.”