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Martin Luther Campus 

Tips for Keeping Your Heart Healthy

5/23/2019

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​Barry ZeVan (aka "The Weatherman") shared some very helpful tips for how to keep your heart in good health:
The old adage stating, “One's good health is the most important thing one has,” is certainly true. Although not heart-related, I've been blessed to "cheat death" at least three times throughout my life. I was told, during two of those life-threatening times, I was blessed with a strong heart and it made all the difference regarding survival. As we’re annually aware, February is annually American Heart Month.

As American Heart Month continues, the AMA encourages all Americans to take control of their heart health by monitoring their blood pressure levels and making healthy lifestyle changes that can significantly reduce the risk of serious health consequences associated with high blood pressure. According to the AMA, an overwhelming number of Americans are living with uncontrolled high blood pressure — putting them at increased risk for heart attack and stroke. By empowering more people to monitor and control their blood pressure, there will be a continuum to not only help improve health outcomes for everyone, but also reduce health care costs.”
The AMA’s six tips for improving heart health to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, include the following:
  1. Know your blood pressure numbers — Visit LowerYourHBP.org to find resources on understanding your numbers and take necessary steps to get your high blood pressure — or hypertension — under control. There are often no symptoms or signs of high blood pressure, often referred to as the “silent killer,” but if left untreated the condition damages the blood vessels and increases the risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious conditions.
  2. Commit to a treatment plan to manage high blood pressure — Work with your doctor to create an individualized treatment plan that focuses on healthy lifestyle changes that you can realistically stick to long-term to help you maintain a lower blood pressure and lower your risk for negative health consequences.
  3. Be more physically active — Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. It is recommended that healthy adults 18 to 65 years of age should get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity three days a week.
  4. Eat a healthy diet — Making simple dietary changes can help you manage or prevent high blood pressure, including eating less sodium, reducing the amount of packaged, processed foods you consume, and eating foods that are rich in potassium.
  5. Maintain or achieve a healthy weight — Take steps to lose weight, if overweight as being 20 pounds or more overweight could put you at increased risk of developing high blood pressure.
  6. Drink alcohol in moderation — If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation as defined by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans — up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, and only by adults of legal drinking age.​
As a partner with Fairview Health Services, we provide many services to help our residents maintain and improve their health. We offer nutritious meals for our residents, aquatic therapy, and Adult Day Programs that provide exercise activities, special outings, and more. 

Martin Luther Campus is part of the Ebenezer family of Lutheran Senior Care Communities. We provide transitional care and assisted living apartments for seniors in Bloomington. We also have adult day clubs and memory care programs for seniors living at home. We’re located at 1401 East 100th St. Bloomington, MN. Are you interested in transitioning to assisted living or do you have a loved one that needs assisted living? Call Amy at 952.948.5167
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The Value of Spirituality for Dementia Patients

5/14/2019

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Marysue Moses, Ebenezer and Martin Luther’s Dimensions Program Coordinator, shares her thoughts in regards to the Ten Steps in Spiritual Formation and the value of spirituality for dementia patients:
In grad school about a decade ago, I ran across an article that provides guidance, inspiration and reassurance for exhausted dementia care partners. Is there anyone out there caring for a person with dementia who is NOT exhausted at this time of year? If so, please send me YOUR insights to share in a future blog!
 
Wayne Ewing’s article, “Land of Forgetfulness: Dementia Care as Spiritual Formation,” recounts his journey as caregiver for his wife who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 55. Wayne quickly realized that his skills as a clergyman and educator, while relevant, were not the entire package of what he needed in order to cope with the change in his “Beloved,” as he calls her, and to navigate the transformed waters of their relationship. 
 
Wayne considered the wide range of needs that both he and his Beloved now had to contend with. He figured them out one by one and in time, Wayne discovered that he could meet his Beloved in the present moment. As they walked together in a pine forest near their home, he marveled at and shared in the delight and awe she expressed at the beauty around them.   
 
This led Wayne to begin to ruminate on the Alzheimer’s Association’s Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Using an impressive knowledge of many religious traditions and spiritual scribes, he imagined how all those (scary and depressing sounding) warning signs might be looked at in a new light, the light of spiritual formation.  He handily spun that list into Ten Steps in Spiritual Formation, pointing out the following: 
  • Memory Loss…St. John of the Cross described “the sum of all perfection” as “the oblivion of the world.” How many people on earth use meditation or other practices precisely to clear the mind of details that keep us away from enjoying the here and now?)
  • Problems with Language…Mother Teresa said, and religious mystics have agreed, that “God is the friend of silence.”
  • Disorientation of time and place…Meister Eckhart wrote that “the soul who knows God knows God above time and place.”
  • Poor or decreased judgment…All religions counsel us to abandon judgment.  For example, the Bible tells us to “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Matt. 7:1).
  • Problems with abstract thinking and problem solving…In many spiritual traditions, this is viewed as a stepping stone towards an increased ability to dissolve ones thoughts and create calm.
  • Misplacing Things…can be seen as a sign of losing attachment to material possessions… (I plan on reminding myself of this one the next time I misplace my phone!)
  • Changes in mood or behavior…Nicolas of Cusa notes that these changes are required in order to gain spiritual wisdom.
  • Changes in personality…Nicolas of Cusa also maintains that personality changes are to be expected if one is to grow spiritually.
  • Loss of initiative…Meister Eckhart’s advice was to be passive in order to allow the holy to be active within us.
Wayne’s thinking reminds me of what I have learned about a common Native American view of persons with dementia:  that they are actually in communication with the spirit world at a level that none of the rest of us can understand. This way of looking at dementia intrigues me. It supports my certainty that even though a person with dementia may be quiet, important spiritual work of some kind is going on, deep inside.
 
I thought I would wrap up the blog right there. But no. Here goes.
 
My beloved husband died of cancer over 5 years ago. He was on hospice for a little over two months, and bedridden for just a week and a half. Phil was an extremely smart, hyper-witty, charming, snarkily funny guy. He had been an actor since he was 6 years old. He could be very loud on occasion.  It was amazing to see Phil become so quiet in his last weeks.  While it didn’t occur to me at the time to use the term “dementia” for anything that was going on with him, it was several  years later that I suddenly realized that he actually was exhibiting dementia symptoms in his last 10 days: trouble with language and motor skills, disorientation, nonsensical speech, lack of initiative.  For a time, our verbal communication consisted of him whispering the last few words of whatever I had just said to him back to me. But one day, he departed from that pattern. When I said, “I love you,” he replied, “I love you too.”  How one little word can mean the world!   That was the last thing he said to me, or anyone.  I had assumed I’d be playing all sorts of his favorite music as the end drew near, but instead, it felt to me like he was very busy inside (and things were probably noisy enough). It seemed that the spiritual journey he was on required his entire focus and attention.  I think (and hope) that was the right call.

​At Martin Luther, we value the importance of Spiritual Health for our residents. We provide Spiritual Care, Pastoral Care, Weekly Worship and other spirituality services. 

Martin Luther Campus is part of the Ebenezer family of Lutheran Senior Care Communities. We provide transitional care and assisted living apartments for seniors in Bloomington. We also have adult day clubs and memory care programs for seniors living at home. We’re located at 1401 East 100th St. Bloomington, MN. Are you interested in transitioning to assisted living or do you have a loved one that needs assisted living? Call us at  952.888.775
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8 Fun Mother's Day Activities for Seniors

5/9/2019

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​Mother’s Day is just around the corner and with the arrival of spring, there are an abundance of activities to do for seniors. Check out these activities for a fun Mother’s Day to remember.  

​1. Have a Picnic

​Now that spring has finally arrived, Mother's Day is the perfect time to enjoy nature. Go to a nearby park and enjoy a stroll, eat a picnic lunch on the grass, and listen to the birds chirp in the trees above. Martin Luther is located on a beautifully wooded grounds perfect for an afternoon stroll.

​2. Catch a Show

There are several fun events happening just a short drive away from Martin Luther Campus. On Mother's Day, May 12, at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis will be putting on a concert that will be a delightful experience for people of all ages.  The Orpheum Theatre is putting on a show, “The Play That Goes Wrong” on May 12 at 1:00 PM and at 6:30 PM. This show is both a comedy and a murder mystery, so it will keep you guessing and laughing throughout the whole evening. 

​3. Enjoy a Sit-Down Meal at a Restaurant

​Pick your favorite restaurant and share a meal with family and friends. This activity is simple, but it is a great experience and a wonderful environment to enjoy good food and bond with loved ones. 

​4. Have a Movie Night

​Watching movies together is a casual activity that’s fun for all ages. Watch mom’s favorite movie and share one of yours with her for some great bonding time.

​5. Bake Some Treats

​Now that it is warming up, it’s time to start making treats like cupcakes and lemonade! You could either dig out an old family recipe or find a new, creative treat to make. Either way, fun memories are always made when cooking and baking in the kitchen!

​6. Attend a Sporting Event

It’s not spring without baseball! The Minnesota Twins baseball team will be playing the Tigers at the Target Field at 1:10 PM on Mother’s Day. Bring the whole family along to cheer for the Twins and to enjoy an exciting baseball game. 

​7. Host a Game Night

​A game night is always easy to put together and is a guaranteed fun evening for everyone!  Have neighbors and friends bring over their favorite games and snacks for a game night to remember.

​8. Arts and Crafts

Ignite your creative side by spending the afternoon painting, doing crafts, and making homemade decorations. This activity can be enjoyed by people of all ages- grandparents, kids, and everyone in between! 

​No matter how you celebrate Mother’s Day, the important thing is just spending time together.

Martin Luther Campus is part of the Ebenezer family of Lutheran Senior Care Communities. We provide transitional care and assisted living apartments for seniors in Bloomington. We also have adult day clubs and memory care programs for seniors living at home. We’re located at 1401 East 100th St. Bloomington, MN. Are you interested in transitioning to assisted living or do you have a loved one that needs assisted living? Call Amy at 952-948-5167 for more information and to schedule a tour today
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    Director of Community Relations

    Hello friends, my name is Kate and I'd love to share with you ALL of the wonderful things happening at Martin Luther Campus. Be sure to check our Blog, Lifestyle page and Facebook page often to stay updated on the happenings at our community!

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Martin Luther Campus is managed by Ebenezer, Minnesota’s largest senior living operator. Ebenezer is the senior housing division of Fairview Health Services and has 100 years of experience serving older adults.  We have been innovators with being the first assisted living in Minnesota, and have an attached long term care, or traditionally called a "nursing home".  We are proud to have been serving Bloomington for over 50 years!
Discrimination is Against the Law. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws. We do not discriminate against, exclude or treat people differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation..
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  • Home
  • Services
    • Assisted Living
    • Memory Care
    • Transitional Care
    • Long Term Care
    • Adult Day Programs
  • Lifestyle
    • Current Events
    • Amenities
    • Dining and Nutrition
    • Aquatic Therapy
    • Life Long Learning
    • Spiritual Health
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Our Staff
    • Our Partners
    • Testimonials
    • Campus History
    • Foundation
  • CONTACT US
  • Careers
    • Job Search
    • Older Adult Job Fair