Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
Since November is COPD Awareness Month, the nurses and therapists at The Cedars would like to share some easy tips on ways we can make life easier for someone suffering from this disease. COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is an incurable disease that affects the lungs and other parts of our body. The main cause of COPD is cigarette smoke, as well as work-related exposure to inhaled substances. People suffering from COPD have difficulty breathing, primarily due to the fact that their lungs have lost elasticity, which makes inhaling and exhaling very difficult. In addition, increased mucus in the lungs and the body’s decreased ability to transfer oxygen into our blood combine to make it the third leading cause of death in our country. If you know someone with COPD, here are some suggestions for ways to ease their burden, directly from Deborah Leader, RN at About.com Guide: Help...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
How will you spend time during your retirement? Will you delve into a lifelong interest or pursue a new one? At The Atrium at The Cedars retirement community, the members are mixing the old with the new. First-time endeavors include senior college courses, Tai Chi or yoga classes. For many at The Cedars, a lifelong interest is painting: portraits, landscapes, still life … anything. These members who make up our very own ‘artist’s colony’ just love to paint. At this week’s Fall Member Art Show, the proof was on the walls. The members living at The Atrium kindly shared their works, and the visitors, staff, and residents were amazed at the talent and perspectives of the residents at The Atrium. As passionate as they are, they were equally distinct. One member’s paintings evoke scenes from children’s literature, while another perfectly depicts Maine winters. The display provided insight into our...
Posted in our blog on by Holly& filed under Featured.
A Woman of Valor: Celebrating Cathy Cohen’s Wisdom, Generosity and Leadership By Paige Roth, Development Assistant at The Cedars Every October, The Cedars Auxiliary hosts an annual Donors Dinner to gather Auxiliary members for a night of fun, food and reflection. The 2012 Donors Dinner was held in honor of Mrs. Cathy B. Cohen, a longtime Auxiliary Board member and volunteer. Cathy retired from The Cedars Auxiliary Board of Directors this spring after decades of service to the Auxiliary, to residents of The Cedars and to the greater Portland community. A registered nurse whose late husband, Charles “Cuddy” Cohen, was a trustee of The Cedars, Cathy joined the Auxiliary Board in 1994, becoming Vice President of Resident Events. As is tradition, the first segment of Donors Dinner was devoted to Sherry Hour, during which members caught up with old friends, enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and entered to win...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
By Beth Sheppard, Director of Development, The Cedars retirement community “There are eight million stories in the naked city; this has been one of them.” While we don’t serve eight million people here at The Cedars (there are 63 skilled care beds and about 800 rehabilitation admissions yearly at the Hoffman Center), every single person we serve has a story. Very often, these involve families and friends. We thought we’d share two recent letters to Cedars CEO Kathy Callnan, containing some of those stories. “We would like to thank all of the staff The Cedars. We did not expect to find a real home for Mom, but that’s what you have become to her. What sets your facility above and apart fro the rest is your people: In everything they do, the message is one of sincere and genuine concern, caring attention and dedication to the feelings and well-being of...
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By Diane Vigue, RN, Resident Wellness Manager, The Osher Inn at The Cedars “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy Change is a regular part of life. It is all around: in the seasons, in our social environment, and in our own bodies. Beginning with the first few moments of life, a person learns to meet change by being adaptive: your very first breath depends on your ability to adapt from one environment to another. And, just as the seasons change, our health and or living situations may change. Meeting the challenges and going on strong is up to you and depends on using the strengths you have used your entire life to deal with difficult situations. How can we cope with change as we go through life? Our thoughts...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
Raising Awareness: OSTEOPOROSIS By Dianne Vigue, Resident Wellness Manager at The Osher Inn at The Cedars, Assisted Living World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th and The Cedars would like to get a head-start on this year-long campaign to raise awareness of the disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle. So brittle in fact that a fall or mild stresses like coughing can cause a fracture. Bone is living tissue which is constantly being absorbed and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the removal of old bone. Osteoporosis affects both men and women of all races. White and Asian women past menopause are at higher risk. To help slow down the disease process, dietary supplements and weight bearing exercises can help strengthen bones. The most common test to measure bone density is a special x-ray called a DXA Scan. It...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
The residents and members of The Cedars are embarking on their second session of Resistance Training at The Atrium. Sharon Leddy-Smart, Lifestyle Coordinator and Personal Trainer, has completed the progress measurements following the first 12-week session, and the results are encouraging! Given that this program was new to so many, the response and interest were better than expected, and all of the participants report that they have seen improvements. The comments at our recent Member Meeting include: Overall sense of feeling better and having more energy Improved muscle strength and endurance Sleeping better Improved posture due to an increased awareness of sitting and standing up straight Increased range of motion and flexibility Sharon enjoys working with seniors and sees herself as a catalyst for our members and residents to feel better through exercise. During the third week of September, she conducted the Fullerton Fitness Assessments on all participants and...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
Today, The Cedars Retirement Community shared an interesting study on our FaceBook page which we found in the Huffington Post titled, “Doctor Empathy Linked With Better Patient Care”. We are proud to say that the benefit of empathy in patient care has been at the core of The Cedars community and mission. Interestingly, this emphasis is gaining traction beyond the nursing field. At The Cedars, students from the University of New England are starting a year-long learning experience with our community called their Interprofessional Geriatric Education Program (IGEP). Joe Wolfberg, M.S., Site-Coordinator for IGEP is hopeful that these scheduled interactions with our elder teachers will provide opportunities for clinical excellence, compassion and most certainly, empathy. This week, Physician Assistant and Pharmacy students are starting at The Atrium, independent living and in coming months they will spend time with seniors at The Osher Inn, assisted living and then at the...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
The Cedars growing outpatient program for those living in their homes with the early stages of dementia, Living Well with Dementia, is introducing a Memory Support Group for those with dementia and their family/friends. August 23 was our first group and proved to be a tremendous success. The facilitator, Lenora Trussell, did an outstanding job of discussing the goals of the program, some of the issues individuals find when living with dementia and current research aimed at slowing the progression of the symptoms. Lenora is a registered nurse who is also a story teller and educator, utilizing both facts and humor. She is an excellent speaker and facilitator – and we look forward to future support groups. The next group meets at The Cedars on Thursday September 13th at 4PM. For more information call 221-7150 or check our website for October’s meeting...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
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...
