Help with Aging Parents: Healthy and Easy Labor Day Recipe

Posted by Holly

By Beth Sheppard, Director of Development at The Cedars

Meals at The Cedars are always a treat, but a recent dinner served to our board and members was especially good – and healthful. It included grilled swordfish, a variety of salads and grilled vegetables, and terrific turkey skewers done on the grill.

I’d never heard of grilling turkey! When I asked our director of dining services, David Kessler, about it, he told me that turkey is low in fat, full of protein (both great for aging bodies!), and easy to grill. The trick is to use turkey tenders, which you can find in the grocery store, and to marinate them before grilling.

Dave skewered bite-sized pieces of marinated turkey tender with chunks of red pepper, button mushrooms and pearl onions on wooden skewers (hint: soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes before you put the meat and veggies on) and grilled them until the turkey hits 170°. 

Delicious, and a complete meal on its own or paired with a salad. If you’re hosting a cook out this Labor Day, add turkey tenders to your shopping list! Enjoy!

Best Retirement Community: Celebrating Healthy Aging at The Cedars

Posted by Katharine

According to Carol Worthington, editor of Healthy Aging Magazine and director Health Aging, it’s never too late to “re-invent” yourself.  September is Healthy Aging Month, an annual health observance designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older, and we take healthy aging very seriously here at The Cedars!

Worthington explains, “We need to draw attention to the myths of aging, to shout out “Hey, its’ not too late to take control of your health, it’s never too late to get started on something new.’

To get started, here are some ideas from Health Aging Magazine to help you think outside of the box:

  • Back to School – through Osher Lifelong Learning (we provide the transportation!) or attend more lectures at The Atrium
  • Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow – older adults getting regular physical exercise are 60% less likely to get dementia as it increases oxygen to the brain and releases a protein that strengthens cells and neurons.  If you haven’t already – sign up for Sharon’s Wellness and Resistance Training Classes!
  • Learn to Paint a Landscape or Still Life – join the community artists in the Art Room and see if fine arts peeks your interest
  • Eat Fresh – make a commitment to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet when ordering from our heart healthy dining options

Best Retirement Community: Summer Wellness Fair at The Cedars

Posted by Katharine

Wellness Fair: Enjoying a Paraffin Dip

The Cedars is dedicated to incorporating wellness throughout our community – for our members, residents and staff.  The opportunities to embrace wellness could not have been greater than at our annual Wellness Fair at The Cedars.  Vendors from over 20 stations and organizations were there to share their knowledge and services with our community – and everyone indulged in healthy snacks, yoga classes, massage therapy and paraffin dips.  Giveaways included a Kindle Fire, and various gift baskets to Dick Sporting Goods, The Cedars Spa and Healthy Eating and Cooking.

Wellness Fair Vendors

The Cedars thanks the participating vendors who partnered to make this a great event:

  • Acadia Insurance
  • Harvard Pilgrim – information and cholesterol screening
  • Guardian Dental
  • American Heart Association
  • Cancer Community Center
  • 2-1-1 Maine
  • US Foods
  • Community Counseling Center
  • Hannaford
  • Scarborough Family Chiropractic
  • Walgreen’s Blood Pressure Screening
  • Hula Hooping Portland Maine

 

Happy birthday to us!

Posted by Katharine

Happy birthday to us!  Twenty-one years today – on August 11, 1991 to be exact –we moved into our beautiful new campus on Portland’s Ocean Avenue. Kathryn Callnan, now president and CEO of The Cedars, was then the director of nursing and orchestrated the move.

Swan Colpits, then director of recreational therapy, and longtime Board member Charles “Cuddy” Cohen help resident Edna Zeeman move into her new home in August 1991.

“We had 62 volunteers, just on the nursing side that day,” remembers Kathy. “One volunteer for each resident.” The volunteers stayed with them all day from the time they left the Jewish Home for Aged on Munjoy Hill until they settled into the new facility, which was then called Cedars Nursing Care Center.

Other volunteers, including a group from the Cedars Auxiliary, helped welcome the residents to their new home, served meals, and made the whole operation go smoothly. 

 

Kathy Callnan with sisters Jaime Shapiro Berg and Jill Shapiro on move in day.

Kathy Callnan with sisters Jaime Shapiro Berg and Jill Shapiro on move in day.

       

Move in day 1991
Staffer Nancy Bloch and volunteer David Cohen assisting a resident with the move.

 
   
 

 

 

 

Best Retirement Community: Social Networking, Skype and Seniors

Posted by Katharine

Michael Michaelson, volunteer at The Atrium

The Cedars has been enjoying the internet more than ever this summer, thanks to the help of volunteer Michael Michaelson. An upcoming freshman in high school at Wayneflete in Portland, Michael has been visiting members in our retirement community every Thursday morning since June.
 
During his time here, he busily runs from one apartment to the next assisting members and leaving them quite pleased. For instance, he connected one member to skype so she could talk with her daughters who both live in Italy. Another member proudly announced that, because of Michael’s tutelage, she not only knew when her mouse needed new batteries, but she was able to change them herself. Other members are accessing e-mail and FaceBook for the first time – and love it!

Michael explains that his work with seniors is quite rewarding.  When he saw the “huge” need for seniors to connect on the internet, he immediately thought of the seniors at The Cedars.  This is not Michael’s only volunteer work, however.  In addition, Michael spends around 40 hours per week recruiting volunteers for Equality Maine.  He can be seen canvassing for signatures and pledges at the local farmers market and his Portland neighborhood.  Thank you, Michael for your time, expertise and enthusiasm – we wish you well!

Health and Wellness: Helping Seniors Live Well With Dementia

Posted by Katharine

"Living Well With Dementia" program participants at The Cedars

Program participants Bob and Dan work on a “brain gym” exercise designed to strenghthen cognitive connections.

 A diagnosis of dementia — from Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, or mild to moderate Multi-Infarct Dementia used to be mean “the end” of meaningful life for afflicted seniors. A new program offered at The Cedars proves, however, that life not only goes on — it can be rich in meaning, independence and dignity.

The Cedars’ new community-based outpatient program, “Living Well With Dementia,” designed for seniors with a diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia, was the focus of the 2012 Annual Membership meeting on August 1.

The program combines meaningful activities with specialized fitness, rehabilitation and therapeutic services to help these seniors thrive. Support for caregivers is also provided. The program involves:

  • Assessment – A thorough, caring and professional evaluation of your loved one’s motor and processing skills, balance, medication management, communication skills, stress levels and support systems.
  • Intervention – The very best occupational, physical, and speech and language pathology services targeted to memory issues.
  • Wellness – A regular, half-day program of the very latest in dementia rehabilitation and wellness services, with a 1:6 staff to client ratio.

After a short video (to see it, click here), program director Lisa Clark described the first group of participants, calling them “the bravest people I know.” A member of the group talked about how the program has helped him make friends with people who understand his situation, and the parent of one of the participants described how the program has helped her family.

Cedars Executive Director Angela Hunt pointed out that, while the program doesn’t provide a cure, it is an important way for those fighting a diagnosis of dementia to maintain quality of life and wellness. “We believe so strongly that preserving dignity and independence is just as important as preserving memory function,” said Hunt. “This program is an important addition to our continuum of senior living options.”

The Cedars is partnering with researchers at the University of New England to track results of the program, and hopes to pursue grant funding in the future.

For more information about the “Living Well With Dementia” program, contact April MacDonald, 207-221-7150.

Health and Wellness: The Truth About Cataracts

Posted by Angie

Mother and daughter visitingHelp With Aging Parents: The Truth About Cataracts
By Diane Vigue, RN, Resident Wellness Manager at The Osher Inn, assisted living at The Cedars

Did you know that 20.5 million older Americans have cataracts, one of the most curable causes of vision loss?

A cataract is clouding of the eye’s normally clear lens, blocking the passage of light needed for vision. Cataracts form slowly and cause no pain. Some stay small and hardly affect vision, but if one does grow and begin to affect your vision, it can usually be removed with surgery.

According to The American Academy of Opthamology, new techniques developed over the past decade have made cataract surgery one of the safest and most successful procedures available in terms of restoring quality of life to patients. Each year there are more than 1.6 million of these delicate eye surgeries performed in the United States.

There are no drugs or exercises that make a cataract disappear, and contrary to popular belief, cataracts are not removed using lasers. Lasers are used in follow-up procedures, if needed. Cataract surgery is often done as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. The cloudy natural lens can be replaced with an artificial lens to give the eye proper focusing power. In most cases, the improvement in the patient’s vision is profound.

So how do you know if you have a cataract?  Some people notice a blurring in their vision, double vision in one eye or fading or yellowing of colors. When older patients mention sensitivity to glare or bright light or trouble driving at night, this may be caused by cataracts. Frequent changes to glasses or contact lens prescriptions, also warrants an evaluation for cataracts.

Cataract surgery, although quite safe, is still surgery. If cataracts aren’t yet affecting your quality of life, you may feel that surgery is not needed. The only person who can really decide when is time to have them removed is you, under the care of your doctor. 

The Cedars Retirement Community: Holistic Wellness through Water Aerobics

Posted by Katharine

The Cedars commitment to wellness can be seen throughout the community, from tai chi instruction for members to yoga classes for staff.  A particular program that is gaining increased popularity is our water aerobics or “Aquazcize” as we refer to it.

Sharon Leddy-Smart, Director of Lifestyles at The Atrium independent living, is also a personal trainer, triathlete, and mother of five – and touts the benefits of water aerobics for the senior population.  The Atrium’s pool is considered therapeutic as it is heated to over 87 degrees Fahrenheit.  Sharon’s classes focus on coordination, mobility, balance, range of
motion and core stability.  “It’s great for people dealing with arthritis because it’s no-impact, and the heat helps warm the joints to allow for greater range of motion.”  Member Florence Strauss explains that “it is the only time I can walk pain-free, when I’m exercising in the pool.”

Sharon states that the water is so soothing and inviting that you don’t feel like you’re exercising, until it’s over and you know you had a great workout.  “We have so much
fun, everyone is always laughing”.  For further information about wellness at The Cedars, contact Sharon Leddy-Smart at sleddy-smart@thecedarsportland.org.