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The Cedars is pleased to continue sponsoring the MJFF’s Free Senior Screening. This year, the documentary, Essential Link: The Story of Wilfred Israel will show at the Portland Museum of Art on Wednesday, March 13 at 2PM. Dessert reception to follow. There is no cost for seniors to attend, but you must get tickets by calling the MJFF at 207-523-3422 or emailing filmfest@mjff.org. Here is the scoop: The Essential Link: The Story of Wilfred Israel / Documentary / 2016 / Israel / Hebrew, German w/ Eng ST / 82 min Documentary / Dir: Sam Pollard / USA / 2017 / 100 min Free Senior Film Why is the story of retail businessman Wilfred Israel, who saved 15 times more people than Oskar Schindler, largely unknown? The owner of Berlins largest department store played a key role in the Kindertransport program and helped save tens of thousands of Jews ....
The Cedars Learning Community™ Continues to Advance Senior Care DO YOU REMEMBER THE RUSH of freedom that filled you the first time you rode a bike? Residents at The Cedars were able to revisit that feeling as part of a new research project on mental health in collaboration with the University of Southern Maine graduate program in Occupational Therapy and the Portland Wheelers. The Portland Wheelers are familiar faces on our campus. These hardy cyclists volunteer to take mobility-challenged seniors on regular rides on specially equipped tandem bikes. While these rides are always popular at The Cedars, the students at USM were looking for a correlation between regular rides and improvements in depression (a common affliction in later life). A positive correlation would encourage other senior living communities to offer similar programs. For the purposes of this research study, seniors with a history of depression were treated to regular...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
On Thursday August 9, The Cedars celebrated its employees with the ninth annual Wellness Fair! Several vendors, including some of our volunteers arrived ready to inspire, educate and engage our staff with healthy lifestyle tips and wellness offerings. The focus included healthy eating demonstrations from our kitchen staff with fresh Gazpacho and other tasty treats. A variety of practitioners were present, sharing their knowledge and treatments in reiki, acupuncture, thermal image screening, and essential oils. In addition our employee benefit representatives were also available to provide information and resources tailored to individual needs. Several of our staff members were the recipients of wonderful prizes, including a Fitbit, baskets created with healthy snacks, spa items and gift cards to both Hannaford and Target! The Cedars is dedicated to creating a culture designed around wellness and would like to give special thanks to all its employees, vendors and participants that helped...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
On June 25, The Cedars graduated another class of certified nursing assistants from The Cedars CNA Plus. For the past year, The Cedars has been partnering with Southern Maine Community College and the Root Cellar to provide opportunities for bright, compassionate people to start a career in healthcare while addressing the growing need for caregivers, particularly for our aging population. Angie Hunt, Chief Operating Officer and Susan Dionne-Jones, Director of Nursing, congratulated our graduates and gave a heart-felt thanks to Nancy Rodick, RN Instructor for her guidance and expertise over the past several months of class and clinicals. CNA Plus not only provides nursing assistant instruction but also teaches additional skills that are becoming more valuable in the healthcare setting. Special guest speaker, Brenda Beaulieu, Business Relations Manager at SMCC expressed how proud she is of our graduates as they each worked a job, many managing a family, while...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
John Roy is the Director of Dining Services for The Cedars community. Staff can usually spot him cooking in one of our kitchens, helping staff during service, or talking with residents about their meals and dining preferences. His passion is preparing healthy, delicious meals for our community with the freshest local ingredients. A graduate of Johnson and Wales College and a recipient of the Cordon Bleu Medal and Who’s Who Award, John has over 30 years in culinary management from educational settings, to hotel and restaurants, corporate environments, healthcare and retirement communities. John was born and raised in Waterville, Maine and today lives with his wife in Newcastle. He commutes over 50 miles each way daily. He must really enjoy working here – and The Cedars is lucky to have him on our team! John looks forward to growing with our community, especially towards our exciting new transformation to the Household Model...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
In anticipation of the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, our residents met with Gillian Graham of the Portland Press Herald to reminisce about hearing the news 76 years ago today – and how it shaped their lives in the years after. Thank you, Gillian Graham for this wonderful article. Visit PPH for the full article. She was 7 and standing outside her house in Hilo, Hawaii, with her father as he prepared to leave for a morning church service when a neighbor came running into the yard with news of the Japanese attack that would leave 2,403 Americans dead and push the United States to enter World War II. Two hundred miles away from Pearl Harbor, Cliff’s family wasn’t in immediate danger as the bombs fell, but realities of war surrounded the young girl in the months and years to follow. Seventy-six years after the day that President Franklin D....
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Angie Hunt, Chief Operating Officer at The Cedars, brought her expertise and enthusiasm for therapeutic arts to the Indiana State Department of Health Conference this fall. Cutting edge arts programming has made a big difference for dementia patients at The Cedars. Opening Minds Through Art, a new collaboration with students from the Maine College of Art and the University of Southern Maine Occupational Therapy department, and our ongoing Music and Memory program, are two of the ways The Cedars reduces the need for antipsychotic medications and increases quality of life. Angie shared ways for other facilities to develop similar programs and ensure their sustainability and...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
NOVEMBER 1, BOSTON – John Watson, Chief Financial Officer at The Cedars, received the Outstanding Advocacy Award as friends, family and thousands of Leading Age colleagues cheered him on. “It’s about time,” trustee George Marcus stated. John has been advocating for Maine’s non-profit nursing homes for years, and after educating legislators and stakeholders on the relationship between quality care and staffing, he was tremendously instrumental in bringing $25 million to Maine’s nursing homes. “John has been a persistent advocate for folks who need to be understood and appreciated,” State Representative Peter Stuckey shares about Maine’s seniors with long term care needs. John started working at The Cedars when we were the Jewish Home for Aged on Munjoy Hill. He developed a tremendous command and understanding of the complex nature of long term care finances, and soon became involved in advocacy, thanks in great part to the programs Leading Age has offered. We are so proud of John...
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WHEN Mary Carol Pochebit began experiencing increasingly severe medical and mobility issues, she and her husband, John, faced a difficult choice. They wanted to stay together in the home they had shared for over 50 years. But Mary Carol needed more assistance with the activities of daily living than John could provide, and more acute medical care than she was eligible for at home. “We have a big, close family,” John explains. “But only one of my sons lives close by. I couldn’t even get Mary to her doctor appointments without calling him.” Like many seniors, the Pochebits had many apprehensions and misconceptions about nursing homes like The Skilled Care Center at The Cedars. Today, they are so glad they didn’t let those fears keep them from finding Mary the care she needed. Because Mary had a customized care plan from our medical director, 24/7 support from our nursing...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
How to Serve a Quarter-Million Meals a Year and Savor Every Moment “A full plate tells me someone who needed nutrition didn’t get it and will have to make it up with supplements. That’s unacceptable to me. An empty plate tells me someone enjoyed a real meal, made from natural local ingredients with real care.” – David Kessler When Wendy Bush was admitted to The Cedars senior living community, she worried about maintaining her weight while recovering from a broken leg. “The food at The Cedars is wonderful!” she declares. “When I started looking forward to the next meal, I knew I might be in trouble. Thank goodness for the portion control.” She really means thank goodness for David Kessler, Director of Dining Services, and his team. When David arrived at The Cedars in 1994, he served 102 residents with a staff of 18. Today, David oversees the preparation, production...
The Cedars Learning Community™ Continues to Advance Senior Care DO YOU REMEMBER THE RUSH of freedom that filled you the first time you rode a bike? Residents at The Cedars were able to revisit that feeling as part of a new research project on mental health in collaboration with the University of Southern Maine graduate program in Occupational Therapy and the Portland Wheelers. The Portland Wheelers are familiar faces on our campus. These hardy cyclists volunteer to take mobility-challenged seniors on regular rides on specially equipped tandem bikes. While these rides are always popular at The Cedars, the students at USM were looking for a correlation between regular rides and improvements in depression (a common affliction in later life). A positive correlation would encourage other senior living communities to offer similar programs. For the purposes of this research study, seniors with a history of depression were treated to regular...
On Thursday August 9, The Cedars celebrated its employees with the ninth annual Wellness Fair! Several vendors, including some of our volunteers arrived ready to inspire, educate and engage our staff with healthy lifestyle tips and wellness offerings. The focus included healthy eating demonstrations from our kitchen staff with fresh Gazpacho and other tasty treats. A variety of practitioners were present, sharing their knowledge and treatments in reiki, acupuncture, thermal image screening, and essential oils. In addition our employee benefit representatives were also available to provide information and resources tailored to individual needs. Several of our staff members were the recipients of wonderful prizes, including a Fitbit, baskets created with healthy snacks, spa items and gift cards to both Hannaford and Target! The Cedars is dedicated to creating a culture designed around wellness and would like to give special thanks to all its employees, vendors and participants that helped...
On June 25, The Cedars graduated another class of certified nursing assistants from The Cedars CNA Plus. For the past year, The Cedars has been partnering with Southern Maine Community College and the Root Cellar to provide opportunities for bright, compassionate people to start a career in healthcare while addressing the growing need for caregivers, particularly for our aging population. Angie Hunt, Chief Operating Officer and Susan Dionne-Jones, Director of Nursing, congratulated our graduates and gave a heart-felt thanks to Nancy Rodick, RN Instructor for her guidance and expertise over the past several months of class and clinicals. CNA Plus not only provides nursing assistant instruction but also teaches additional skills that are becoming more valuable in the healthcare setting. Special guest speaker, Brenda Beaulieu, Business Relations Manager at SMCC expressed how proud she is of our graduates as they each worked a job, many managing a family, while...