Best Retirement Community: Celebrating National Assisted Living Week

Posted by Katharine

With National Assisted Living Week upon us, The Osher Inn at The Cedars is embracing this year’s theme, “Art for the Ages.”  The many special events we’ve scheduled for the week help us to say thank you to our residents, many of whom have made significant contributions to society as business people, civic leaders, firefighters, teachers, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Today The Osher Inn held its Resident Art Show which showcased our community members’ paintings, needlework, pottery, sculptures … and much more.  As the week continues we have concerts, art shows, instructional workshops and a concert that promises to get our residents dancing!

For more information about The Osher Inn and personalized assisted living, please call us at 207-221-7150.

The Cedars: CNBC.com Niche Retirement Community

Posted by Katharine

The Cedars Retirement Community: CNBC.com Niche Retirement Community

Just about every retirement community features activities and programs that emphasize wellness.  The Cedars in Portland, Maine, is no exception. It emphasizes holistic wellness, which many baby boomers have pursued for decades.
The community’s yoga program is taught by Jessica McKneally, who believes that yoga can help alleviate many of the health issues that older adults face.
“Many of the chronic ailments associated with the aging process are the result of stress, imbalance and disconnection,”she says on the community’s website. “Relieving stress, cultivating balance in our lives and reconnecting to our self and others can go a long way towards establishing a healthier, happier, more sustainable life.”

Getting a Good Night Sleep

Posted by Angie

woman yawningHelp with Aging Parents: Three Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
By Diane Vigue, RN, Resident Wellness Manager, The Osher Inn

Public health professionals know that a good night’s sleep an essential aspect of health promotion and chronic disease prevention, especially for the elderly.

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression, all of which threaten our health. Notably, insufficient sleep is associated with the onset of these diseases and also poses important implications for their management and outcome. It is  also responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related accidents, causing substantial injury and disability each year. 

More than one-quarter of the U.S. population report occasionally not getting enough sleep, while almost 40% of the elderly experience sleep problems, and nearly 10% suffer from chronic insomnia.

Some of these insomnias may be due to the body not receiving sufficient oxygen during the night.  However, new methods for assessing and treating sleep disorders bring hope to the millions suffering from insufficient sleep.  Ask your physician if you may need an evaluation for a breathing disorder that interferes with your sleeping.

Here are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep:

  1. Get some activity every day – just move your body.  Walking, using the fitness gym according to your physician’s order, stretching safely on a daily basis, all these can assist you in a thorough night’s rest.
  2. Eat right, limiting caffeinated drinks late in the day, minimizing sweets before bed, taking any diuretics according to your doctor’s order – generally not too late in the afternoon.
  3. Have (and stick to) a “bedtime routine”.

Sufficient sleep is not a luxury — it is a necessity — and should be thought of as a “vital sign” of good health. 

For more information visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online.

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.