Changing Aging: Most Recent Articles

Jim Klobuchar - Innocent Anthem Under Siege

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:33:00 -0600

Ecumen guest blogger Jim Klobuchar dissects the singing of the Star Spangled Banner as America readies for Super Bowl Sunday and Madonna taking the stage in Indianapolis. Enjoy

Millions of Americans were innocently preparing to watch the New England-Baltimore football playoff game a few weeks ago when the noted rock singer, Steven Tyler, confronted the national anthem with an original act of sadism from which it may never recover.

This is a prediction that is not made lightly. Since the arrival of the modern age of anthem soloists, the venerable old hymn to the land of the free has been subjected to assaults that (a) not only defy the ancient rules of Guido’s scale that have defined music for centuries but also (b) the Geneva Convention’s rules against inhumane punishment

I don’t know why they do it. In our household my wife and I race to see who will grab the remote before the soloist, in a doomed attempt to reach the culminating high note, dissolves into actual excruciation.

Democracy was never intended to be this painful.

I have seen hog callers offer more sympathy to their audience.

It actually goes deeper than that. A lot of times they forget the words. In Cincinnati at a baseball game one year I heard the soulful soprano remembering “the star bangled batter.”

It used to be so simple and harmless. The public address announcer asked the fans join in singing while the band played the national anthem. Mostly we put our hands over our left chests (actually we should sort of center it there if we’re looking for the heart) so we stood and sang or, if military, saluted. Mostly we knew the words. If the audience tried to join in singing with Steven Tyler in New England the other day the crowd would have been finished by the time Tyler spotted the dawn’s early light.

But what I find more worrisome today is the actual health of the soloists. The occasion calls for a certain amount of passion. Commitment. Often it also calls for a lot of hair. Tyler had more hair than Clay Matthews of the Green Packers. I have no idea how it looked on the super-sized Blue Ray loaded screens, but on mine it was enough to reach from our book case to the fireplace.

I was worried because Tyler looked to be in actual anguish. Clutching his microphone, he tossed his head backwards. His voice rambled over at least three octaves and was working hard on the fourth when he got around to the “banner yet wave…”

The suspense in front our TV was intense. My wife wasn’t sure he had the firepower left to reach the home of the brave. More crafty in these matters, I was sure Tyler would make it. He was now in what was dangerously approaching actual convulsion, in the throes of passion. His eyes closed. His hair thrashed in the New England wind. He clutched the microphone. When he got to the land of the free, he reclutched.

With his passion now almost beyond restraint, his hair leaping to new heights with the favorable wind, Tyler finished this ultimate suspense, only slightly off key.

After which they put on the commercial in which the guy wrecks a couple of cars, two city blocks and half of the landscape to remind us there is mayhem out there and we better be insured by the right people.

After which my wife left the TV screen shaking her head and asking, “does all of this really make sense to you?”

I told her it did make a little more sense when a paunchy Kate Smith sang God Bless America followed by the commercial for Rye Krisp.

Change comes hard, friends. Don’t ignore the virtues of Rye Krisp.

About Jim Klobuchar:

In 45 years of daily journalism, Jim Klobuchar’s coverage ranged from presidential campaigns to a trash collector’s ball. He has written from the floor of a tent in the middle of Alaska, from helicopters, from the Alps and from the edge of a sand trap. He was invited to lunch by royalty and to a fist fight by the late Minnesota Viking football coach, Norm Van Brocklin. He wrote a popular column for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for 30 years and has authored 23 books. Retiring as a columnist in 1996, he contributes to Ecumen’s “Changing Aging” blog, MinnPost.com and the Christian Science Monitor. He also leads trips around the world and an annual bike trip across Northern Minnesota. He’s climbed the Matterhorn in the Alps 8 times and has ridden his bike around Lake Superior. He’s also the proud father of two daughters, including Minnesota's senior U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Hill-Murray High School Honors Ecumen Lakeview Commons Resident Honor Hacker

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:48:00 -0600

Ecumen Lakeview Commons resident Honor Hacker (pictured above during an interview on Capitol Hill discussing new technology) remembers the day she slumped over the desk in her classroom of Hill-Murray, a Benedictine prep school in Saint Paul, closed her eyes and died . . . . it was part of Honor's "Living with Death" course, which looked at life's greatest mystery. It was a class, and Honor a person, who has had a tremendous impact on many. The most recent edition of Hill-Murray Today Magazine, has a great article on Honor and her commitment to lifelong learning. You can read it here, just scroll to page 10 and 11.

"Awakenings" Featured on Canadian TV News

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:45:00 -0600

Ecumen is empowering residents and their families to enjoy the highest possible quality of life through our Awakenings initiative. "400 kilometers south of the Canadian border there is a sea change underway," says 16:9 reporter Carolyn Jarvis in a recent Awakenings feature on "16:9" television news . The 16:9 feature describes the dramatic difference between calming and controlling dementia residents through antipsychotic chemicals versus the Awakenings model of behavioral support and personal attention to individual needs.

Ecumen Bethany Community Receives Major Gift: $340,000

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:13:00 -0600

In an honoring testament to Ecumen Bethany Community's culture of caring, former residents Leonard and Irene Kalina included Bethany in their estate plans -- to the tune of $340,000! The Kalinas lived together at Ecumen Bethany Home since 2006, until Irene’s death in 2009, followed by Leonard’s passing in January 2011. Read more about the Kalinas and their gift in the Alexandria Echo Press.

Senior Housing - A Part of "Aging With No Regrets" for Many

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:46:00 -0600

In an earlier blog post, we highlighted a new book - 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans, authored by Karl Pillemer, the head of Cornell University's Legacy Project, I found this item below interesting from N.Y. Times health columnist Jane Brody in her look at the book.

ON AGING: “Embrace it. Don’t fight it. Growing older is both an attitude and a process,” an 80-year-old man said. The experts’ advice to the young: “Don’t waste your time worrying about getting old.”

Most found that old age vastly exceeded their expectations. Even those with serious chronic illnesses enjoyed a sense of calm and contentment. A 92-year-old who can no longer do many of the things she once enjoyed said: “I think I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life. Things that were important to me are no longer important, or not as important.”

Another said, “Each decade, each age, has opportunities that weren’t actually there in the previous time.”

Maintain social contacts. Avoid becoming isolated. When an invitation is issued, say yes. Take steps to stay engaged, and take advantage of opportunities to learn new things. Although many were initially reluctant, those who moved to a senior living community found more freedom to enjoy activities and relationships than they had before.

You can read Brody's full column here. And for insights from Ecumen customers and staff on aging go to 50 Tips for Aging Gracefully from Ecumen.

Ecumen Salutes Medal of Honor Recipient Mike Colalillo

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:17:00 -0600

Mike Colalillo, pictured above, received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor for bravery, from President Harry Truman on Dec. 18, 1945. On Friday, Minnesota's last surviving Medal of Honor recipient Mike Colalillo passed away at Bayshore Health Center, which Ecumen operates in Duluth.

Hero. It was a word that accompanied Mike Colallo's name continuously. He didn't quite see it that way, though. He told a reporter after the war:

"I never wanted to kill anybody, and I never had any particular yen to be a hero. Heroes are a dime a dozen in my book."

The Army private was a rifleman in the 100th Infantry Division and stationed near Untergriesheim, Germany, on April 7, 1945, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

According to the Medal of Honor citation:

Colalillo and others in his company were pinned down during a battle. He stood up amid heavy artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, shouted to his comrades to follow and ran forward as he fired his weapon.

"Inspired by his example, his comrades advanced in the face of savage enemy fire," the citation read.

When shrapnel disabled his weapon, Colalillo "climbed to the deck of a friendly tank, manned an exposed machine gun on the turret of the vehicle and, while bullets rattled about him, fired at an enemy emplacement with such devastating accuracy that he killed or wounded at least 10 hostile soldiers and destroyed their machine gun."

A salute to Mike Colalillo. May he rest in peace.

Happy Holidays from Ecumen

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:54:00 -0600

Please join us in celebrating another successful year at Ecumen! Enjoy our Ecumen Holiday Video featuring images of employees and customers from 2011.

Top 10 Lessons for Living from America's Most Experienced and Wisest Citizens

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:54:00 -0600

Karl Pillemer, Ph.D., is a gerontologist and professor of human development at Cornell University. He's author of "30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans." Over the past six years, as part Cornell's Legacy Project, he's conducted a research project designed to tap the practical wisdom of older Americans. Using several different social science methods, he's collected responses from over 1,200 seniors to the question:

"Over the course of your life, what are the most important lessons you would like to pass on to younger people?" He

He then combed through the responses, and the result was a set of lessons for living from the people he calls "the wisest Americans." Below are what he pinpointed as the Top 10 Lessons: You can also read lessons from Ecumen's customers and staff members - 50 Tips for Aging Gracefully - quite a few parallels - and a lot of wisdom. Thanks, all, for sharing.

1. Choose a career for the intrinsic rewards, not the financial ones. Although many grew up in poverty, the elders believe that the biggest career mistake people make is selecting a profession based only on potential earnings. A sense of purpose and passion for one's work beats a bigger paycheck any day.

2. Act now like you will need your body for a hundred years: Stop using "I don't care how long I live" as an excuse for bad health habits. Behaviors like smoking, poor eating habits and inactivity are less likely to kill you than to sentence you to years or decades of chronic disease. The elders have seen the devastation that a bad lifestyle causes in the last decades of life -- act now to prevent it.

3. Say "Yes" to opportunities: When offered a new opportunity or challenge, you are much less likely to regret saying yes and more likely to regret turning it down. They suggest you take a risk and a leap of faith when opportunity knocks.

4. Choose a mate with extreme care: The key is not to rush the decision, taking all the time needed to get to know the prospective partner and to determine your compatibility with them. Said one respondent: "Don't rush in without knowing each other deeply. That's very dangerous, but people do it all the time."

5. Travel more: Travel while you can, sacrificing other things if necessary to do so. Most people look back on their travel adventures (big and small) as highlights of their lives and regret not having traveled more. As one elder told me, "If you have to make a decision whether you want to remodel your kitchen or take a trip -- well, I say, choose the trip!"

6. Say it now: People wind up saying the sad words "it might have been" by failing to express themselves before it's too late. The only time you can share your deepest feelings is while people are still alive. According to an elder we spoke with: "If you have a grudge against someone, why not make it right, now? Make it right because there may not be another opportunity, who knows? So do what you can do now."

7. Time is of the essence: Live as though life is short -- because it is. The point is not to be depressed by this knowledge but to act on it, making sure to do important things now. The older the respondent, the more likely they were to say that life goes by astonishingly quickly. Said one elder: "I wish I'd learned that in my thirties instead of in my sixties!"

8. Happiness is a choice, not a condition: Happiness isn't a condition that occurs when circumstances are perfect or nearly so. Sooner or later you need to make a deliberate choice to be happy in spite of challenges and difficulties. One elder echoed almost all the others when she said: "My single best piece of advice is to take responsibility for your own happiness throughout your life."

9. Time spent worrying is time wasted: Stop worrying. Or at least cut down. It's a colossal waste of your precious lifetime. Indeed, one of the major regrets expressed by the elders was time wasted worrying about things that never happened.

10. Think small: When it comes to making the most of your life, think small. Attune yourself to simple daily pleasures and learn to savor them now.

Jim Klobuchar - Our Last Mountain

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:05:00 -0600

He sat in his wheel chair, my old Swiss climbing guide, grumbling in a predictable show of annoyance as his wife eased him into their apartment on the fourth floor of a home for the aging. They live in the village of Zermatt beneath the Matterhorn, which he had climbed hundreds of times, five of them with me.

He is a man with that Teutonic stoicism that seemed genetically planted in his generation of Swiss mountain guides. A recent head injury in a fall affected his sense of balance. But his mind seemed clear and his fondness undiminished for the local Fendant white I brought for the family wine bins. I offered a hug and he extended an arm and a smile before attempting one more apology for the wheel chair. I shrugged it off. I told him the only superman I ever met was in the movies and couldn’t pass up a telephone booth. Which was not exactly a revelation to him. He had suffered fractures, been caught in avalanches, rescued dozens of stranded climbers as a volunteer and led me on the Matterhorn one day when the visibility in the clouds fell to zero and the mountain was otherwise deserted.

I told him I was in Switzerland as the escort for a tour group from Minnesota. This was in October, still more than a month away from the jammed ski slopes and raclette parties in the Zermatt bistros and hotel cellars. Which meant ceding the hiking slopes and the cable trollies to the prairie and lake dwellers from the American north.

I also wanted to tell Gottlieb how much he had mattered in my life and expanded it, not so much with thrills but as a tutor in exploring the high country in its mysteries and its magic, and doing it sensibly. He had also done it with safety, demanding that you abided some of its homeliest rules and axioms—that pride truly does come before a fall, that there are old climbers and bold climbers, but not many old and bold climbers.

“Do you still climb?” he asked.

“No,” I said.” I’m in that age group we call octogenarian, and I don’t know many of that type who are strong enough or loopy enough to go high as a climber. But I love the mountains still, hike in them, camp in them, and remember the sensations and the discovery, and guys like you who opened that world to people like me.

“What do you remember?,” he asked. He spoke with a warmth I had not felt in our 30 years together on the rope.

“ I remember the day we reached the top of the Matterhorn at the very moment the rays of the sun reached the Monte Rosa to the east and then the Michabel massif and the west wind was stirring, and at that moment there was no one else on the mountain. I sucked in the air and looked across to the Italian side of the summit ridge, the cross on it and I swear I could hear the pealing of the church bells two miles below us in Zermatt.”

So what had the mountains, and therefore Gottlieb, brought into my life?

They have been mountains of a kind to reward our dreams. We had been with them long enough to understand the illogic of imparting personal qualities to inanimate stone and ice, personal qualities dear to the poet: Mountains could be rash or vindictive.

We know that rock, snow and ice cannot be emperically kind or restless, punitive or rewarding. So it is said. The scientists and the meteorologists know this. But we also know that sometimes, especially on a windless morning when the sun leaps above the ridges and spills its flaming orange over the snowfields, the poets were right and the scientists, at least once, were wrong.

And so have the mountain years been rewarding, in the effort and search they demand, the bonding and the overcoming of a natural fear.

Oh my, yes. They have, and for those drawn to physically engage them, this becomes the most profound gift of the mountain world: The humility and gratitude it imparts to those who find themselves in the presence of a nature so mighty and beautiful, and in those most intimate times, so full of grace.

About Jim Klobuchar:

Three Pieces of Holiday Advice from Larry Minnix

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:30:00 -0600

For some good stories and great advice, check out the following column by LeadingAge leader Larry Minnix: Three Pieces of Holiday Advice.

Creating a New Way to Pay for Senior Services in Minnesota

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:11:00 -0600

Yesterday's Minneapolis Star Tribune featured a discussion with editorial columnist Lori Sturdevant on the future of long-term care financing. Participants included former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger; LaRhae Knatterud, director of aging transformation for the State of Minnesota; Beth McMullen, health policy director for the Minnesota Business Partnership; Stacy Becker, consultant to the Citizens League; Deb Newman of Newman Long-term Care and myself. You can read the full discussion here.

Jim Klobuchar-Need Help? From Manila With Love

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:44:00 -0600

The problem with my computer could have been solved by any 11-year-old with the juvenile’s basic exposure to locking taskbars and unpin options.

No such rescue was at hand in my house. My wife was wading through the sharp elbows of her competitors at a book sale in Barnes and Noble. My granddaughter was occupied with her third hour trig class 1,500 miles away. Jeffrey my default high tech expert, was out of pocket repairing someone’s sub-woofer in the suburbs.

I was marooned and working against the clock to finish a project. I needed to do a couple of pages before leaving for a meeting bringing together a half dozen alleged problem solvers on how to deal with life when it turns sour. My only qualification was having survived 45 years in daily journalism. The computer manuals were worthless because this was a problem in the computer’s gadgetry. I couldn’t log on and had already exhausted my one defense—pulling plugs and re-plugging them after 30 seconds

Gloomily I dialed the company’s customer service department, knowing I was headed for probable gridlock. This didn’t work very often. The folks who build these things are in the computer business, not the telephone business. They want you to handle most of this stuff on line, which becomes a problem because (a) a lot of us were past puberty before discovering the miracles of Cookies and Browsers and (b ) Modems sounded like some thing you had to take twice before going to bed.

Being crafty, I got out a customer’s guide that gave me the phone numbers for the trouble department. The first voice answered, “Your call may be recorded for quality assurance.”
This was good. “Listen carefully because some of the options have changed.” More progress. I listened carefully. None of the options seemed to connect to the problem of a computer that wouldn’t start . I could go to billing or customer service. I could go to technical support, all of which sounded promising. I called. None of them connected to the problem of a computer that wouldn’t start A voice said there was heavy demand. “We’ll be with you as soon as a line opens.”I could wait a few minutes. I called again. The same. I told myself this is normal. Lots of people call. Fifteen minutes and I’m in. It could have been worse. “Listen carefully because some of the options have changed,” a voice said. “I’d done this three times and, as a change of pace I hit one of the number keys blindly. “Your opinions are valuable to us; if you like to comment on our service, please stay on the line and an agent will be with you shortly.”

Buoyed by this foothold of progress, I punched the requisite buttons and three minutes later a voice answered. “Welcome to the service department,” the woman said cheerfully, “what can we do for you?”

I explained the problem. I’m in Minnesota,” I said. “My name is Jim. Where are you?”

“ I’m in Manila,” she said pleasantly “My name is Melanie. I am your agent for today.” I said I thought Melanie was a lovely name and I described my problem. She began giving instructions, about things like modems, and outlets and yellow cords. Nothing stirred on the screen, We went deeper into the computer’s innards. I did plug-ins and hit buttons. Nothing happened. She suggested that I follow the trail of the yellow cord, which disappeared into the bowels of the wiring jungle under my desk: “ Melanie,” I said, “ it’s obvious that you know your job very well, but when you try to educate me I’m just not able to understand you’re technical talk because we accent the words differently. You have a fine voice and speak well and your English is good But I wonder if you could switch me to an office in the United States. I know your company doesn’t like to do this.”

Melanie laughed and said she could do that for me and told me to stay on the line. “What a find” I told myself, “a real problem solver.” Most of the American firms that set up call centers, in southeast Asia and Latin America, saving millions with cheaper labor, pretend to meet your request and shift you back to an American office. So I heard some transfer sounds and said, “I’m in Minnesota.” The voice on the other end sounded surprised. “Hello,” she said voice said. I’m in Manila. My name is Melanie.” Somehow somebody had rerouted the call back to Manila.

So I was left with my unresponsive plugs. I pulled one out for auld lang syne, put it back in the outlet—and every light in the computer came alive.

You need expert computer repair? Give me a ring.

Building the Future of Senior Living in North Branch - Clayton Anderson's Legacy

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:25:00 -0600

Ecumen lost a feisty friend and benefactor when Clayton Anderson died last Friday. Clayton was 101. He served the North Branch area his entire life with his energy and personal resources, making North Branch a better place to live.

When he donated the land that would become Ecumen North Branch, long before he himself called it home, it was with a vision of this state-of-the-art senior living community in mind. Clayton made the future possible.

Godspeed, Mr. Anderson, on your next journey.

CNN PHOTOS: "Remembered: The Alzheimer's Project"

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:47:00 -0600

Photographer Gregg Segal created "Remembered: The Alzheimer's Project," as a way to honor those living with Alzheimer's. The photos contain projected images from the subject's younger years, illustrating how we often forget who those with Alzheimer's once were. Click the link to see the images and learn about how the powerful images were created.

Thank you! Together, We're Changing Aging.

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:45:00 -0600

Your voices were heard – on Give to the Max Day, we raised more than $5,000 in support of Ecumen and Awakenings!

A special congratulations and thank you to Kori Williams, the Ecumen donor who won a Golden Ticket of $1,000 towards Awakenings.

While Give to the Max Day is just once a year, we are grateful for the year 'round support from you and other Ecumen advocates. Without your commitment to changing aging, we could not accomplish all we do to make living longer, living better.

Again, THANK YOU!!!

Ecumen Academy of Lifelong Learning: Because you're never too old to learn!

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:51:00 -0600

It wasn't just the seniors in high school who returned to school this fall in Apple Valley.

So did a group of senior citizens. Or rather, school came to them.

Through an opportunity that was new this fall, 23 senior citizens took either one or two courses that Inver Hills Community College coordinated with staff at the Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley residence.

Read the full story about Ecumen Academy of Lifelong Learning at Apple Valley Patch.com.

Raise Your Voice. Change Aging. Give Together.

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:08:00 -0600

Today, YOU can be the change agent to make living longer, living better. Here's what you need to know:

Giving began at midnight and goes until 11:59pm!
GOLDEN TICKETS of $1,000 will be given to a random donor's charity every hour -- so any gift at any time can make a big impact!
Keep an eye on the Leaderboards -- prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 will be awarded to the top three nonprofits which received the most dollars in 24 hours. Help us make that Leaderboard!
PASS IT ON! Encourage your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to give to Ecumen! E-mail, call, Tweet, or send a Facebook message -- just let them know!

Make your voice heard for changing aging TODAY!

http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Ecumen or www.ecumengiving.org

Raise your hand. Change Aging. Give Together.

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:01:00 -0600

People are already thinking about changing aging. Just last week, Ecumen’s Awakenings project was featured on Kare 11’s Land of 10,000 Stories. Take five minutes to watch this incredible video – see the faces and hear the stories of Awakenings.

YOU can make change happen! Ecumen is participating in Give to the Max Day for the first time ever, encouraging our partners to stand with us for innovation in senior care.

Here is just one story among the many ways Ecumen is changing aging:

This summer, on a Twin Cities golf course, Carri*, an Ecumen supporter, was telling her partner about Awakenings, Ecumen’s revolutionary new approach to Alzheimer’s care. As she described the incredible experience of residents shaking off the effects of archaic treatment and "awakening" to life once more, her friend’s eyes filled with tears. He cried as he described how his own mother had suffered from Alzheimer’s and experienced the very symptoms Awakenings works to eradicate. When she passed away, he had tremendous grief. He was astounded that a program like Awakenings now existed – and wished that his mother could have experienced it.

Change can’t happen fast enough. More people need to know about projects like Awakenings – projects that are literally changing aging and changing lives. When you participate in Give to the Max, you’re raising your hand for Ecumen and for change.

Raise your hand for changing aging on November 16! Visit www.ecumengiving.org for more information.
*Name changed at the request of the donor

Honor - Veterans Day 2012

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:05:00 -0600

Thank you to America's veterans! Following are just a few of the stories from Ecumen customers who have served our country. We invite you to share your remembrances and tributes in the comments section below.

Mike Colallilo

Today in Duluth, one of the few living Medal of Honor recipients will be honored at Ecumen's Bayshore community. Only about 450 U.S. soldiers, sailors and pilots received the nation's highest combat award during the war. Mike Colallilo, pictured above with President Truman, received his based on his bravery and leadership on April 7, 1945. Here is an excerpt from a Minnesota Public Radio Story. You can read the full story here – it’s amazing.

"Lying on the ground, bullets and shells flying everywhere, Colalillo decided something had to be done. Even though he was a private, not in command, Colalillo rose up and yelled to the other soldiers to follow him.

"I jumped on the tank...and told them...'I'm going to use your machine gun.'"

The soldiers fell in behind some tanks and moved forward, firing as they went. Shell fragments hit Colalillo's submachine gun, making the weapon useless, and leaving him even more vulnerable.
"I jumped on the tank, and just hollered in the tank and told them, 'I lost my gun and I'm going to use your machine gun on the top,'" Colalillo recalls. "And that's when I started shooting all these positions where the Germans were."

Doris Brand

Doris Brand lives at Ecumen Point Pleasant Heights in Chisago City. Among her neighbors at Ecumen Point Pleasant Heights are 30 other WW II vets. She served in the Navy during WW II in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). She played a substantial role in developing America’s air supremacy.

She attended Hunter College in New York City and then headed to boot camp. Afterwards she was one of just 1,000 women nationally who became Link Trainer instructors. These were instructors who ran flight simulators to train pilots. After her training in Atlanta, where she learned how to fly planes, transmit morse code, and other skills, she trained pilots at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In a recent interview, she shared how some male pilots tried barrel rolls and loops in the simulator to see if they could make her sick. They never succeeded. But she did succeed and, because of it, she helped our country succeed.

Honor Flights

A number of Ecumen customers this year have taken Honor Flights to visit the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. Recently returning from one of those flights was Jim Reasoner (pictured at left) from Ecumen's Pathstone Living Community and Bill Spehar, Vince Flesness and Bob Huston, who recently passed away, took flight to D.C. from Ecumen Lakeshore.

Among the remembrances, Jim shared the following: He was 19 years old, and married with two young daughters when he was drafted. He was involved in combat in the invasion of the Philippines. In addition to participating in heavy combat, he suffered from 26 attacks of malaria. After a 30-day hospital stay on the Island of Leyte, he rejoined his company in Yokohama, Japan, soon after it had been bombed. He worked out of Tokyo. He recalls at the end of the War taking the USS U.S. Grant back across the Pacific to the U.S. with 5,000 other soldiers. Crossing below the Golden Gate Bridge, he and his fellow troops were welcomed by thousands of people and bands, and banners flying everywhere.

Another neat story added today by colleague Lori Olson; you can read the full stor in the comments below.

Thank you again to all veterans! We invite you to share your thanks, remembrances and tributes below in the comments section.

Ecumen Awakenings in the News

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:23:00 -0600

Gary Babcock hadn't heard his father speak in two years, and watched as Melvin Babcock sat motionless, most often slumped in sleep, in his wheelchair. Melvin Babcock was living with Alzheimer's, and as his behavior became more and more agitated, caregivers increased his antipsychotic medications in effort to "restrain" him. That was before Melvin became part of Ecumen's Awakenings program at Ecumen North Branch.

"When I heard him tell my mom, 'That was our son Gary,' as I walked away, I couldn't believe it," said Gary. "And now he's wheeling around the place, stopping at neighbors' doors to say hello."

You can view a poignant news feature about our Awakenings initiative that recently aired on KARE 11 TV, by clicking here. What the feature video won't tell you is that Melvin is now on his third pair of biking gloves.

Ecumen's Awakenings initiative is underway in all of our 15 care centers in Minnesota. Find our locations at ecumen.org. You can join us in changing aging by donating to Ecumen Giving on Minnesota Give to the Max day, November 16.