Central MN Dementia Community Action Network

07/24/2025

📣 Important Update for Former D-CAN Patients & Families:

Although D-CAN officially closed its doors on June 30, we want to make you aware of similar services available through Vivie, a nonprofit organization with a shared mission of providing compassionate care. Vivie serves communities across three states and has a local office in Waite Park near St. Cloud.

Vivie offers dementia-related services through its GUIDE and Connected Communities programs—both designed to promote wellness, independence, and meaningful connection. These programs reflect many of the same values and approaches you experienced through D-CAN.

We’re also pleased to share that Tami Kolbinger and Cristina Rodriguez, former D-CAN employees, have joined Vivie and continue to serve individuals and families in need of dementia care.

To learn more about Vivie’s dementia care services:
- Visit https://vivie.org/what-we-provide/population-health
- General email: populationhealth@vivie.org
- Call Vivie directly at (320) 759-4908

We understand how essential trusted relationships and continuity of care are—especially when it comes to your health. We encourage you to take this next step and continue receiving the support you deserve.

Access Your D-CAN medical records:
Your records are securely stored and can be accessed through:
Morgan Medical Records Management
8 State Street, Nashua, NH 03063
Phone: 800-604-3994
Website: https://morganrecordsmanagement.com/
Records will be maintained for seven years in accordance with federal law.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. It has been an honor to serve you and your family.

Warmest regards,
Patrick J Zook, MD
President and Founder, D-CAN

06/30/2025

A Message from D-CAN:

As you may have heard, D-CAN has made the deeply difficult decision to close due to ongoing financial challenges tied to reimbursement rates for our medical services. Today, June 30th, is our final operational day. This marks the end of a meaningful chapter, but our commitment to your care continues through this transition. We are working to help connect you with support through other local organizations and will share more information soon.

To ensure the continued security of your medical records, we have partnered with Morgan Medical Records Management LLC to act as our official records custodian. Your records will be safely stored for a minimum of seven years, as required by Minnesota law.

If you would like to request your medical records:
- After June 30, 2025 – visit www.MorganRecordsManagement.com, click “Request My Records,” select Minnesota, and complete the form.

- For assistance, you can contact:
📧 Medical@MorganRecords.com
📞 603-484-4841

Please note: In accordance with state law, there may be a fee for the copying and transmission of your records. There may also be a short transition period after our closing before Morgan Records has full access to our charts.

Thank you for being part of the D-CAN community.

06/23/2025

🎵 Music Therapist, Sara Gulbranson Severson, will be demonstrating music therapy during tomorrow's Dementia Friends St. Cloud Film Series. Below, we're sharing Sara's article about music's impact on the brain. Want to meet Sara? Register for tomorrow's event at https://form.jotform.com/250136589702459

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🎶 Music heals our minds, bodies and souls. When we listen to music, we are actually perceiving multiple attributes or ‘dimensions’. It is quite fascinating to learn about the basic elements of sound (i.e. loudness, pitch, tempo, timbre, rhythm, etc.) and how they affect the different parts of our brains.

The human brain is divided up into four lobes – the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital – plus the cerebellum. Musical activity involves nearly every region of the brain. Listening to music starts with subcortical structures and then moves up to auditory cortices on both sides of the brain. As you listen to familiar music, your memory center kicks in and can cause you to tap along, sing along, and even perform along. At a deeper level, emotional responses to music occur when certain regions of the cortex are reached.

The human brain begins to learn to enjoy tones, vibration, music and sounds at a very young age...in the womb actually!

A fetus develops hearing at around 17-19 weeks. Babies learn the sounds of their mother before they are even born. Do you ever wonder why babies are put on their mother’s chest as soon as they enter the world? They are immediately soothed and can recognize the familiar sounds they heard when they were still in the womb.

The sound waves from voices, wind & string instruments travel directly through the air into the ear of others listening on up into different nerves of the brain. This causes a calming, soothing feeling.

It’s not only the actual sound that does this. It’s also vibrotactile stimulation. Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water making vibration something that can easily and quickly travel throughout the body up to nerves in the brain.

Have you ever heard someone say, ‘That song really moved me’? Not only does this mean it struck an emotion. Bones are the hardest cells in our body. Sounds and vibration can travel right through those cells. Soundwaves go right to our vagus nerve to which controls our heart, lungs and digestive tract. When soundwaves and vibration reach this nerve, it can help to stabilize the heart rate, blood pressure, improve digestion and other vitals.

Our music memory is stored in a different part of our brain than all of our other memories. This is why those that are cognitively impaired can sing along to songs they learned when they were young, but, sadly, may not know who their family members are anymore. Keeping music familiar is an impactful way to help those with dementia feel like themselves again, if even for a short period of time.

Providing live therapeutic music for patients on Moments Hospice is a non-invasive, feasible way to enhance one’s quality of life by bringing in-the-moment healing and comfort to the patient’s whole being – emotional, spiritual, mental and physiological – simply by having the patient in the presence of music. It may also lead to improved human contact and communication, more positive emotions and improved relationships.

06/23/2025

🗓 Dementia Friends St. Cloud invites you to join their film series tomorrow! Watch the Alive Inside film and see a Music Therapy Demonstration from Moment's Hospice.

Tuesday, June 24th:
5:30 PM: Resources and Refreshments with Music Therapy Demonstration by Moments Hospice
6 PM Film: Alive Inside with a panel afterwards

In honor of the longest day, Dementia Friends St. Cloud will be hosting an event demonstrating music therapy by Sara Gulbranson Severson. Our music memory is stored in a different part of our brain than all of our other memories. This is why those that are cognitively impaired can sing along to songs they learned when they were young, but, sadly, may not know who their family members are anymore. Keeping music familiar is an impactful way to help those with dementia feel like themselves again, if even for a short period of time.

After this demonstration we will watch the film, Alive Inside together with a panel to follow. We hope you will join us for this event.

Visit this link to register: https://form.jotform.com/250136589702459

05/14/2025

Join us for a screening of the documentary “The Father.” In this film, a man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality.

Movie screening sponsored by Dementia Friends St. Cloud Metro Area
Featuring: The Father
Tuesday, May 20th
5:30 PM Refreshments and Resources
6:00 PM Movie showing with a panel to follow.
In-person at the Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303

There will be refreshments and resources starting at 5:30PM and the movie will start at 6PM with a panel to follow. This event is free and open to the community.

Registration link: https://form.jotform.com/250136589702459

04/16/2025

Staples, Wadena & Long Prairie Support Groups Next Week!

You are invited to our April dementia caregiver support groups in Staples, Wadena, and Long Prairie on Tuesday, 4/22. Each support group is an open forum where caregivers can share stories and ask questions in a safe environment. You can share as much or as little as you'd like. There is no need to register; just come and learn.

- Staples: 9 - 10 am at Faith Lutheran Church
- Wadena: 11 am - 12 pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church
- Long Prairie: 2 - 3 pm at Long Prairie Great River Regional Library

These groups are funded under contract with the Minnesota Board on Aging.

04/10/2025

The next St. Cloud Caregiver Support Group is Tuesday, April 15th!

Join us for D-CAN’s monthly dementia caregiver support group and find a supportive community that truly understands. This is your chance to:
- Connect with other caregivers
- Share experiences and tips
- Ask questions in a judgment-free space
- Learn strategies to make your caregiving journey easier

🗓 When: Tuesday, April 15th
⏰ Time: 10:00 - 11:00 AM
📍 Where: D-CAN’s Dementia Resource Center Clinic
3701 12th St N, Suite 103, St. Cloud, MN

Come as you are—whether you want to share or simply listen. No registration needed.
This support group is funded under contract with the Central MN Council on Aging under the Older Americans Act Program.

04/03/2025

Join us for a FREE Health & Screening Fair!

Whitney Senior Center, City of Saint Cloud is hosting their Health & Screening Fair on Thursday, April 17th at the Whitney Recreation Center. Come take advantage of the various health screenings, including memory screenings provided by D-CAN. It’s a great opportunity to stay on top of your health and well-being. We look forward to seeing you there!

Health & Screening Fair
Thursday, April 17th
9:00am – 12:00pm
Whitney Recreation Center

04/01/2025

D-CAN will be part of the upcoming St. Cloud Area Business Showcase on April 8th at the River’s Edge Convention Center! Come explore 60+ booths and see a range of products and services from the region. Plus, enjoy delicious food samples and beverages, games and giveaways, career possibilities, and networking opportunities. Stop by D-CAN's booth while you are there!

Event Details:
📅 Date: April 8, 2025
🕓 Time: 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.
📍 Location: River’s Edge Convention Center
💰 Admission: Free and open to the public

03/26/2025

UPDATE: THIS SEMINAR IS SOLD OUT

Are you looking to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner?

Register for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Training Seminar in St. Cloud, MN, on April 24th! This 8-hour seminar is essential training required for CDP certification through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. This seminar is perfect for healthcare professionals, front-line staff, and clergy working in a healthcare setting.

Why Attend?
✔ Gain a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
✔ Fulfill the seminar requirement for CDP certification
✔ Join thousands of professionals enhancing dementia care globally

🗓 Next Class is Thursday, April 24th, 2025
Time: 8 am - 5 pm
Cost: $245
Location: 3701 12th Street N., Suite 103, St. Cloud, MN 56303
Deadline: Registration and payment due by April 7th. Space is limited.

To learn more about the seminar and available dates, visit our website at:

Register for an Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care SeminarFive Options to Choose from!Join the thousands of people who have completed the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care training. This 8-hour class will provide healthcare professionals with fundamental information on Alzheimer’s disea...

03/26/2025

🗓 Upcoming Seminar: Dementia Risks and Brain Health as We Age

You are invited to learn more about dementia risk factors and brain health as we age, presented by Cristina Rodriguez, our Care Navigator and Educator. (There is no need to RSVP.)

Date: April 1st, 2025, 1 PM - 2:30 PM
Location: Verndale Fire Hall, 102 Butler St. SE. Verndale, MN 56481

03/25/2025

Becker Caregivers:
You're invited tomorrow to our monthly dementia caregiver support group in Becker. Each support group is an open forum where caregivers can share stories and ask questions in a safe environment. You can share as much or as little as you'd like. There is no need to register; just come and learn.

Wednesday, March 26th from 10-11 am:
Becker Community Center
11500 Sherburne Ave
Becker, MN 55308

This support group is funded under contract with the Central MN Council on Aging as part of the Older Americans Act Program.