Luther Park at Sandpoint Voted “Best Senior Living Community” for 9th Year in a Row
Ecumen-managed Luther Park at Sandpoint, ID, has been voted the “best senior living community” in Bonner County for the ninth year in a row in a reader survey conducted by the Bonner County Daily Bee newspaper.
The “Best of Bonner County” special section was recently published listing results of readers’ voting in the survey. Residents of Bonner County can nominate and vote for any person or business they feel do the best jobs in the community.
“We’re honored to once again get this high vote of confidence from Bonner County residents,” said Bridget Kosinski, Administrator at Luther Park. “This is a high compliment to our excellent staff. We pride ourselves on the care we provide, and it’s great to be recognized by the community for what we do.”
Luther Park at Sandpoint, which opened in 2008, provides assisted living and memory care. For more information go to http://www.lutherparksandpoint.org.
Luther Park at Sandpoint Named Among Top 10 Assisted Living Communities in Idaho
Ecumen-managed Luther Park at Sandpoint, ID, has been named by Assisted Living Today among the “Top 10 Assisted Living Communities in Idaho.”
Luther Park at Sandpoint, Idaho Voted Best Senior Living Community
Ecumen-managed Luther Park at Sandpoint, ID, has been voted the “best senior living community” in Bonner County in a reader survey conducted by the Bonner County Daily Bee newspaper.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Bill Remmers
Ecumen honors Bill Remmers, a resident of Luther Park at Sandpoint, Idaho, who is 100.
Sandpoint, Idaho: The Caring Spirit of Carl Verdal Lives on in His Garden
Eleven years after his death, the spirit of Carl Verdal still lives in Sandpoint, Idaho. People especially remember his selfless good works caring for others and the beautiful gardens he created at First Lutheran Church. 
At Luther Park at Sandpoint, a community managed by Ecumen, Carl has been memorialized with a garden that re-creates his legendary church garden, which is now paved over. “Carl’s Garden” commemorates the life of an unassuming man who quietly went around town, leaving beauty and good deeds in his wake.
The October issue of Sand Point Living Local magazine tells Carl’s heartwarming story.
Luther Park at Sandpoint, Idaho, Voted Best Senior Living Community
Ecumen-managed Luther Park at Sandpoint, ID, has been voted the “best senior living facility” in Bonner County in a reader survey conducted by the Bonner County Daily Bee newspaper.
A “Best of Bonner” special section published today listed results of readers’ voting in the survey conducted online from June 12 to July 3. Residents of Bonner County can nominate and vote for any person or business they feel do the best jobs in the community. This year there were 65 categories of nominations and more than 30,520 votes cast. 
Luther Park at Sandpoint, which opened in 2008, is a six-time winner of the award.
“We’re honored that Bonner County residents gave us this vote of confidence,” said Kersten McDonald, Executive Director at Luther Park. “We pride ourselves on the care we provide, and it’s great to be recognized by the community for what we do.”
Luther Park at Sandpoint provides assisted living and memory care. For more information go to www.lutherparksandpoint.org.
There Is a Santa Claus at Ecumen's Luther Park at Sandpoint, Idaho
On Christmas morning in Sandpoint, Idaho, a dozen or so small children gather around the tree to see what Santa has brought them. The kids all have at least one thing in common: Santa is definitely not their parents. They are the kids of Kinderhaven, a group foster home and emergency shelter in this small northern Idaho town. They have been removed from their homes and placed here for their own protection.
But there is a Santa Claus. Not far away, the residents of Ecumen’s Luther Park at Sandpoint have been in their workshop raising money for gifts and hand-knitting hats, mittens, scarves and blankets, making sure the Kinderhaven kids have some Christmas presents. The Kinderhaven kids have no idea this is going on. All they know for sure is that last Christmas they had about 12 gifts each.
The kids do know the Luther Park folks care. They go over to the assisted living community and sing Christmas carols, and the Luther Park folks are really nice and friendly and don’t want them to leave. But, as it should be, they don’t connect the dots. Knowing who Santa is would spoil the fun.
But if the Kinderhaven kids could only know what joy they are giving Santa. The Luther Park residents and staff have been working all year so that these beaten, bruised and emotionally scarred kids can have a happy Christmas. In fact, the whole town of Sandpoint has been working toward this goal. And before this Christmas is over, the town’s community effort will have raised about $175,000 for the kids.
Wendy Traffie, the administrator at Luther Park, says you have to live in the town to truly understand what’s going on. There’s a kind of frontier spirit fostering the expectation that everyone must pitch in to help everyone else. And everyone pitches in to help the Kinderhaven kids.
Just before Christmas every year, there is a highly anticipated gala. Local businesses sponsor Christmas trees that are decorated with donated theme gifts. At the gala the trees are auctioned off. But usually the first two or three people who “buy” the trees donate them back to be auctioned off again, and when the night is over about $175,000 has been raised for Kinderhaven. This is in a town with a population of about 7,500.
Last year, Ecumen’s Luther Park at Sandpoint sponsored a tree with the theme “All Things Bonner County,” featuring local foods and gift certificates to businesses, donated by local merchants. The tree raised $6,500 at auction.
This year, their tree had an “All Things Disney” theme, decorated with a Tinkerbelle ornament at the top, stuffed animals, toys, games and action-figure ornaments. And Luther Park was honored by having their tree purchased for the Kinderhaven house to be the tree for the children.
Luther Park’s involvement started three years ago. Amy Schroeder, an employee in maintenance and housekeeping, went to Wendy with the idea of maybe adopting a kid at Kinderhaven. “I grew up here,” Amy says, “and I had such a wonderful family life. I knew about Kinderhaven and thought it might be a good place for us to get involved.”
Then, as Wendy puts it, “it just snowballed” into an all-out labor of love.
As soon as this year’s gala ends, Amy is back in Wendy’s office with the tree-theme idea for the upcoming year. Amy does the heavy lifting all year long, gathering the donations, making sure everything comes together and striving to make this the year that the Luther Park tree raises the most money of any tree at the gala.
The impact of the effort is astonishing, Wendy says. The residents and staff rally with a commitment unlike any she has ever experienced. “It’s like everybody moves to a different level. There’s no stress around this. Residents and staff use their skills toward an important purpose. It becomes so much bigger than ourselves. It’s all about the kids. It reminds us of the real reason for the season.”
And in this picturesque small town, everyone gets to watch the kids grow. In fact, three of the former Kinderhaven kids are now on staff at Luther Park— and now they know who Santa is.
Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Seniors: Ecumen Staff Offers Advice
We recently polled staff at several Ecumen communities for their advice on holiday gift-giving for seniors, particularly those who are in assisted living or care centers. Here are the top 10 suggestions:
1. Coming right to the top of the list is “the gift of time”— much more valuable than material gifts. The holidays can be especially lonely times for some seniors and special time with family and friends is usually the most welcomed gift. Putting effort into making a holiday visit truly exceptional can be priceless.
Jane Thieman, the marketing director of Ecumen Prairie Lodge in Brooklyn Center, Minn., suggests that one way to make a visit unique is to enable seniors to be in the holiday roles they used to enjoy when living at home. “Let them be the host,” Jane suggests. If your senior community has private rooms, try to arrange a family-style dinner or dessert party that a parent or grandparent can play the role of host and invite friends and family — bringing back good memories and a sense of empowerment.
2. Treats in the form of candy, chocolate and cookies are always a hit. And it’s best if they are individually wrapped, since residents like to share with caregivers, staff and visitors.
3. Gift cards are popular for those who are able to go out into the community — especially restaurants, movies and personal care. The activity director in your community can offer advice on popular destinations.
4. Comfortable lounging clothes, like robes, slippers and jogging suits — also blankets.
5. Toiletries such as hand and body lotions, shampoo and body wash.
6. Photos, especially framed photos or photo albums of grandchildren and great grandchildren with a mix of old and new photos, labeled with names and dates.
7. Games, such as puzzle books or jig-saw puzzles with larger pieces.
8. Wall, window and door decorations and calendars.
9. Magazine subscriptions.
10. Postage stamps and stationery.
For higher end gifts, consider iPads, Kindles and other tablets. Also an extra telephone might come in handy for some.
As with any gift, the sentiment and how it is presented is far more important than the gift itself. After a lifetime of material gifts, getting the feeling of being loved and appreciated will trump most anything.