Posted in our blog on by Angie& filed under Featured.
By Melanie Desjardins, Manager of Care Coordination at The Cedars Personal visits can make a big difference for loved ones who live at The Cedars. Although our Life Enrichment Department offers several activities, arriving with a planned activity can make your visit more pleasant and meaningful for both you and your loved one. Here are five creative things to do while visiting: Bring photos of family and friends from days gone by and/or recent photos of their house or hometown. Help your loved one write letters or send cards to people. Together, start to create a photo album, framed photograph collection or a poster to hang in their room. Cook your favorite family meal together in our Life Enrichment kitchen. Create a life story to frame for all staff to see. Write about the great life of your loved one! Play word and trivia games to keep your loved...
Posted in our blog on by Holly& filed under Featured.
Staying active and engaged with family and friends is so important to healthy aging. But during a long Maine winter, it can be difficult to get out of our homes and into the community. It is harder to try new things and make new friends when sidewalks need shoveling or roads are icy. And if you are living alone, it can be harder still. Many of our single members believe living at The Atrium has truly changed their lives for the better. Eileen Balladur is one of them. “Before my husband passed away, we usually socialized at home with family. The Atrium gave me the courage to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I love everything about being here,” she says. Nervous about making friends if you move to The Atrium alone? Don’t be. The Atrium has an Ambassador program for new members. Eileen remembers...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
This past Tuesday evening, the members at The Atrium enjoyed an authentic Oktoberfest celebration where chef Heath Pollard served specialties of the season that included sauerbraten, beef rouladen, spatzel and a variety of German ales. Please enjoy this recipe from our kitchen for s’chee, otherwise known as shredded-cabbage soup. S’chee – 12 servings 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons of butter 2 cans of condensed beef broth 2 soup cans of water 1 small head of green cabbage, coarsely shredded (5 cups) 2 carrots, sliced 2 medium potatoes, cubed 1 stalk celery (with leaves) sliced 2 tomatoes, cut up 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper Dairy sour cream Dillweed or parsley Cook and stir onions in butter in Dutch oven until tender. Add beef broth, water, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and celery. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender,...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
An important message from Cedars Director of Nursing Susan Dionne-Jones: “It’s the beginning of flu season here in the Northeast and seniors can be especially vulnerable to this annual sickness. This virus-borne illness, characterized by fever or chills, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, aching (including headaches) and tiredness, is unpleasant at least and can be life threatening. “Elderly people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications. The best prevention is an annual vaccination. “According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, ‘people 65 years and older will have two flu shots available to choose from – a regular dose flu vaccine and a new flu vaccine designed for people 65 and older with a higher dose. The high dose vaccine is associated with a stronger immune response to vaccination. However, whether the stronger immune response results in greater protection against...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
Friend of The Cedars, Deb Bergeron, Life Coach and President of Ocean of Possibilities, has presented to The Cedars over the years and shares her thoughts on the importance of socializing as we age. Enjoy Deb’s 10 Tips to Building Strong Connections. “No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.” ~ Barbara de Angelis 1. Nourish your social relationships. Nourish relationships with siblings and cousins your own age; they’re most likely to stay with you through time and can remind you of your younger self. But don’t confine yourself to your own age group. Look for younger friends as well—yes, children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren count, too. 2. Learn for the love of it! Taking classes and attending lecture series can help improve your social connections and...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
We’ve had a special guest at The Cedars for the past several days, John Rude, president of Age Dynamics based in Eugene, Oregon. John as been discussing wellness for everyone in our community – and is creating a great deal of excitement in the process. He has an extensive history of developing health and fitness programs for seniors in the US and Europe. With master’s degrees in gerontology and business, he spent many years in disease management, and then in the early nineties shifted his focus towards prevention, growth and development. John has spent time talking with The Cedars staff, members, residents and community to emphasize the following theme: Regardless of our age, we have the capacity to grow, develop, modify and change John makes the point that we need to feel empowered in order to maintain our autonomy – and maintaining our autonomy becomes more important as we age. John...
Posted in our blog on by Angie& filed under Featured.
Best Senior Living Community — Angie HuntPosted by Angela Hunt, RPT, MS, Executive Director, The Cedars Just the other day, at the 9th Annual Cedars Auxiliary Golf Tournament, an elderly gentleman came up to me and said, “You probably don’t remember me, but you treated me and my wife at the Sam L. Cohen Rehabilitation Center. Your staff was so kind and compassionate and we are both doing so much better because of the great care we received. Thank you so much for what you do!”My name is Angela Hunt and I am Executive Director at The Cedars. I oversee the daily operations of the Hoffman Center, home of the Sam L. Cohen Rehabilitation Center (39-bed short-stay rehabilitation) and the Skilled Care Center (63 long-term care beds). I also oversee 30 assisted living apartments at The Osher Inn.You might think that this is a tremendous responsibility, but working with...
As we celebrate National Assisted Living Week at The Cedars with an active calendar of resident and family gatherings and events, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the positive effects that The Osher Inn assisted living has had on the community and those we serve since opening just three years ago. Assisted Living is the perfect option for seniors needing assistance with one or more of their activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as bathing, dressing and grooming. In addition, most assisted livings provide help with medication management, assuring that the medications are in-house and are being administered to the residents at the right time. Staff is on site 24 hours per day providing personal support with ADL’s and medications. A registered nurse works with the residents’ physicians to assure their medical needs are being met. Seniors enjoy three meals per day at assisted livings in a social...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
Supporting Our Seniors: The 9th Annual Cedars Auxiliary Golf Tournament By Beth Sheppard, Director of Development at The Cedars You’d think that a golf tournament would be all about high scores, sponsorships and prayers for good weather. But I’ve learned that the tournament run by the Cedars Auxiliary is all about…family. There were sister acts: former Tournament Chair Roz Siegel and her sister Judy Brams (daughters of Charlotte Siegel, who lives at the Osher Inn and who is herself a longtime member of the Auxiliary) played together. So did Ron Lessard Jr. of Interim Healthcare, one of our Silver Sponsors, and his dad, Ron Lessard Sr. Then there was the D.A.R. Inc. team that included Executive Director Angie Hunt, her husband Col. David Hunt, and her brother, Vincent Palangie. Before the tournament even started, incoming Auxiliary President Suzie Berzinis and her daughter Hannah – herself a Jr. Auxiliary member...
As we celebrate National Assisted Living Week at The Cedars with an active calendar of resident and family gatherings and events, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the positive effects that The Osher Inn assisted living has had on the community and those we serve since opening just three years ago. Assisted Living is the perfect option for seniors needing assistance with one or more of their activities of daily living (ADL’s) such as bathing, dressing and grooming. In addition, most assisted livings provide help with medication management, assuring that the medications are in-house and are being administered to the residents at the right time. Staff is on site 24 hours per day providing personal support with ADL’s and medications. A registered nurse works with the residents’ physicians to assure their medical needs are being met. Seniors enjoy three meals per day at assisted livings in a social...