Rehabilitation at The Cedars Retirement Community in Portland, Maine

Posted by Katharine

“My therapists helped me create a plan and achieve my goals.  When I was discharged, I knew I was ready to go home. – Wendy Bush

LAST AUGUST, Wendy Bush stepped off the front porch of her son’s Long Island vacation home and missed the bottom step. Her leg was broken. Her son was able to drive her back to Maine for treatment, but the journey back to her own home would take much longer. 

  As the Vice President of Marketing at F.L. Putnam and a member of the Mercy Hospital board of directors, Wendy knows how to assess a difficult situation and make a sure decision. “I was in a cast and under doctor’s orders not to put any weight on my leg,” she recalls. “I knew I would recover much faster with round-the-clock help. My doctor and several friends recommended The Cedars Rehabilitation Center.”

   The Cedars reputation for state-of-the-art healing is growing every day, as is our therapy department. When Rehabilitation Manager Heidi Graff, OTR/L, arrived six years ago, she supervised a handful of therapists determined to set the standard for senior rehabilitation. Today, she helps 45 therapists provide physical, occupational and speech therapy to over 600 patients every year.

   “The Cedars led the way on evidence-based practice,” Heidi explains. “We have always provided one-on-one physical, occupational and speech therapy, seven days a week. We have always based treatment and discharge plans on what our patients need and want. The recent changes in Medicare to improve patient experience and outcomes have changed very little for us.  The Cedars has always put our patients first.”
 
Heidi also points to standardized tests as another example of our commitment to clinical excellence.  At The Cedars, patient progress is consistently measured to accurately gauge progress and help therapists assess which forms of therapy are working best.
 
The Cedars rehabilitation therapies are also provided in an airy, sun-drenched space filled with the very best equipment, from exercise machines to iPads.  But at the end of the day, it’s about people.
 
“To be a physical therapist today, you need a doctorate of physical therapy.  Occupational and speech therapists need a Masters’.  We require ongoing training, and we have teaching affiliations with several colleges and universities, such as the University of New England,” Heidi explains.  “Because we work together so closely, we also require commitment and compassion.”
 
Wendy can attest to this.  “It is so difficult to be so dependent on other people,” she explains.  “Little things made all the difference.  I continued to work during my treatment and needed to stay on top of the financial news.  The staff delivered my newspapers, all five of them, every single morning – with a glass of orange juice.”
 
And after Wendy’s cast was removed she was able to accelerate her therapy. “It hurt!” she remembers with a laugh.  “But Karen Rossignol, RPT and Shannon Mercier, OTR/L got me through it.  I had five more days to see what I could really do.  To have my discharge plan in place.  To get my confidence back.  When I went home, I knew I was ready.”
 
After one misstep, Wendy Bush has found her footing.  She found that the very best rehabilitative care is at The Cedars.
 
For more information about Rehabilitation at The Cedars, contact Heidi Graf at www.hgraf@thecedarsportland.org.
 

The Cedars Annual Meeting

Posted by Katharine

The Cedars is holding it’s Annual Meeting

with special guest, Steve Shields of Action Pact Development

Wednesday August 7, 2013 at 6PM

Please reply to 207-221-7000

Challenging Ourselves As We Age: Retirement Living

Posted by Katharine

 

If you’re fortunate enough to live into your 90’s – life is looking better and better.  Earlier today the Associated Press released a summary of findings from a Denmark study indicating that 95 year olds today are more mentally acute than those of ten years ago.  Although they are not sure why, scientists are chalking it up to better nutrition earlier on in life, as well as more intellectual stimulation. 

At The Cedars Retirement Community, we’re strong believers in offering multiple opportunities for mental challenge and stimulation – both for ourselves and our residents.  Members living in our independent living at The Atrium choose which types of programs they want to see.  What’s on our recent calendars?           

  • Historical lectures by members and guest speakers
  • Current Event Discussion Groups (this group often contacts local representatives)
  • Blackjack, Mahjong
  • Story writing and telling, “Legacy Letters”
  • Trips to OLLI and SAGE classes, PSO, Portland Stage

The mental invigoration doesn’t stop at The Atrium, however.  At the Osher Inn, assisted living at The Cedars, you’ll find

  • PC and ipad training
  • Book clubs
  • Brain fitness to include games and trivia
  • Excursions to museums and historical sights

Out Skilled Care Center offers more than ever, since so many of these residents receive the majority of their stimulation at The Cedars

  • Current Events
  • “Family Feud” among the neighborhoods
  • Community Bingo and Crosswords
  • Travelogues with residents and staff
  • Floral design and card making

For more information on our Life Enrichment at The Cedars and keeping mentally challenged as we age, contact Sharon Leddy-Smart, at sleddy-smart@thecedarsportland.org

Retirement Community Health and Wellness: Safe Sun Exposure

Posted by Katharine

With the beautiful summer weather upon us, many members at The Cedars Retirement Community are spending more time outside – taking walks, golfing, dining in our courtyard.  During these special months, seniors need to take extra care to avoid sunburn and dehydration.  The following are some tips from our Wellness Expert, Sharon Leddy-Smart to stay safe and healthy. 

  • Watch the Weather: when the temperatures soar, stay in the air conditioning and if you need to venture outdoors, do so in the early morning of late afternoon hours.
  • Drink Plenty of Water: adults should drink 8-10 glasses of water daily, and in the warmer weather, drink more.  Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to start sipping, and try to avoid alcohol, sugary drinks and caffeine when out in the sun.
  • Dress for the Heat: wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes and be sure to don a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
  • Wear Sunscreen: be sure to apply sunscreen before you head out into the sun, and reapply every two hours.  Make sure the SPF is at least 30.
  • Check Your Medications:  some medications cause an increased sensitivity to sunlight, be sure to read the labels before going into the sun

For more information on wellness at The Cedars, contact Sharon at sleddy-smart@thecedarsportland.org

 

The Cedars Retirement Community: Volunteer of the Year

Posted by Katharine

Volunteer of the Year Mary Goff with staff Angie Hunt, Janine Fifield, and Sharon Leddy-Smart

Each year at The Cedars Retirement Community, we have the difficult task of choosing one person to represent The Cedars as the volunteer of the year. It presents a challenge, because everyone here has remarkable talents and gifts that they share with our residents.

This year we recognized Mary Goff a volunteer whom is originally from Green Bay Wisconsin and has followed us throughout history, volunteering for many years at the Jewish home and now present day here at The Cedars. Currently she visits daily with multiple residents, assists the Life Enrichment department with activities and transport, assists residents from the Osher Inn on Regional Transportation Program (RTP) trips and even accompanies residents to their medical appointments.

Her overall volunteer experience spans 30 years and includes, Big Brother Big Sister, Habitat for Humanity, Ingraham Volunteers and she has even helped to establish the Portland Chapter of Pine Tree Epilepsy.

She is compassionate, enthusiastic and caring upon whom ever she encounters. In her spare time Mary enjoys reading and crafting. She lives in Falmouth with her husband Ernie and her daughter Mandy. 

When asked “why does she volunteer?” She replied that “we all get more than we give in regards to those we help!”

Best Retirement Community: Member Poet Contemplates Spring in Maine

Posted by Katharine

“A Spring Poem” by Mary Lou Martindell, member of The Atrium at The Cedars

It’s the Creation story, the reincarnation of all of nature.

The snow has cleansed and purified the earth,

Trees shrug off their snowy limbs like heavy overcoats.

Spring blossoms, almost anemic in their hunger for the sunlight,

poke through the snow to the rhythm of their own internal clocks.

Velvety pussy willows put out their silvery light visible a long way down
the road.

Hard wood trees sprout new leaves. Blades of wilted grass turn green.

Small animals who’ve been hibernating all winter rise out of the ground
and search for a mate.

The Spring birds will soon be arriving to seek out their new homes.

The silence of nature thick with the aroma of bark and humus, rotting
pine needles and the perfume of fresh air.

It is a new beginning, a rebirth of Nature.

Holistic Wellness for Seniors: Tai Chi at The Cedars

Posted by Katharine

“Minus the pre-conceived notions and judgments engendered by our culture about growing old, aging is simply change.”  FRED BRANCATO, TAI CHI INSTRUCTOR

The mood is as bright as the winter sun streaming through the windows as instructor Fred Brancato greets each member of his weekly Tai Chi class at The Atrium at The Cedars.  Gathered in a circle, they begin by sharing with each other and letting go of the preoccupations of the day.  As they rise to begin their exercises, they are already lighter.

Fred has practiced Tai Chi for the past 21 years, and he guides this class with a voice of quiet assurance.  Movements are graceful, yet precise.  Breathing is slower, but deeper.  Each sequence includes gentle reminders to stay centered, to smile.  Everything is in balance.

At 76, Fred has the look and bearing of a much younger man, and Tai Chi clearly informs his outlook on aging.  And as he shares the philosophy behind this ancient art with the class during the discussion breaks, you can see how the concepts of birth and rebirth and of harmony with change also resonate with his students.  “I love the people at The Cedars,” Fred says.  “So quick to laugh, wide open, ready for anything.  I get so much from them.”

And they get so much from this class.  “There are so many health benefits for seniors,” he says.  “the meditative nature of Tai Chi as well as the exercises.  Preserving strength and balance are so beneficial as we age.  Tai Chi has been credited with lowering blood pressure and blood sugars, easing fibromyalgia – every study shows something new.”

At the beginning of class, Fred cracked a window to the bracing winter breeze.  By the time he closes it, minds are clearer and walks are brisker.  Tai Chi with Fred has refreshed and renewed this class, like a breath of fresh air.

A Ph.D. and scholar of world religious traditions now retired from academia, Fred teaches Tai Chi and courses about Eastern philosophy and Native American world views, and is the author of Ancient Wisdom and the Measure of Our Days: The spiritual Dimensions of Retirement, Aging and Loss.

The Show Must Go On

Posted by Katharine

Join us at The Atrium at The Cedars on Friday April 12, 2013 for

“Behind the Scenes at Portland Stage Company”

Executive and Artistic Director Anita Stewart

will share what it really takes to produce professional theater.

To reserve your seat, call 207-221-7100

 

Winslow Homer and the Maine Coast

Posted by Katharine

Please join us for a special presentation with

Karen Sherry, curator of American Art at the PMA

Wednesday March 20, 2013

To reserve your space, call 207-221-7100