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The Cedars is introducing a state-of-the-art strength training program for our retirement community residents living in independent living and assisted living. Sharon Leddy-smart, Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium and Angie Hunt, Director of the Hoffman Center recently presented this exciting new program to the members at The Atrium, The Cedars independent living community. Angie and Sharon pointed out that aging is a natural process, and we all age differently. Several studies show that exercise not only improves quality of life, but also helps people live longer lives. The ten bio-markers of age, which are reversible include: Muscle Mass – Decreases Strength – Decreases Basal Metabolic Rate – Decreases Body Fat – Increases Aerobic Capacity – Decreases Blood Pressure – Increases Blood Sugar Tolerance – Decreases Cholesterol/HDL Ration – Decreases Bone Density – Decreases Body Temperature Regulation – Decreases The Cedars new program is an innovative wellness program focused on strengthening...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
We enthusiastically welcome our new chef, Simon Thorpe, to The Atrium at The Cedars. Simon is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and was an apprentice and chef at several five star restaurants from Chicago to Daytona Beach. He grew up in Liverpool, England and Ontario, Canada, moving to Maine in 1988 where he continued his culinary career with Unum Provident’s Business Catering Services and with another senior living community in New England. Simon joined The Cedars last month but has already made a significant impression. The members are thrilled with Simon’s creativity to date, as he compliments the menu with an assortment of personal specialties, such as his signature Yorkshire pudding, and various seasonal delights. Simon explains that he enjoys talking with the members in the dining room as the evening winds down, “meeting with the members and getting feedback is one of my...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
by Lisa L. Clark, MS, OTR/L, Program Coordinator of Living Well with Dementia “Living Well with Dementia” is a new program being offeredat The Cedars, for people with memory issues. Lisa is an occupational therapist who is the Program Coordinator for Living Well with Dementia. She has thirty years of experience working with people who are over 65. In the course of her career she has also provided services to people with dementia, to help them participate in activities that are meaningful for them. Lisa graduated from the University of New Hampshire with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Occupational Therapy. She has worked in many healthcare settings such as acute rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, dementia care and consultation in Assisted Living, home health services, and acute hospital settings. Lisa has also taught at the University of Southern Maine for over 15 years, in their Occupational Therapy program at the Lewiston-Auburn campus. She...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Featured.
Best Retirement Living: Sleep Study at The Osher Inn Assisted Living by Katie Druan, Life Enrichment Coordinator at The Osher Inn A good night’s sleep will cure most anything that ails you. It is a common experience that the way a person feels during the day is in direct relationship to the amount and quality of sleep that they had the night prior. To explore the topic further, The Osher Inn Assisted Living at The Cedars hosted Occupational Therapy students from the University of New England for a four session program that involved residents keeping a simple sleep log and having interactive discussions with the students about what can be done to improve the quality of sleep. The program is optional and open to all Osher Inn residents. After recording in their log, residents will have a better idea of their individual sleep patterns as well as learn tips...
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Partnering with the Friends School of Portland by Kimberly Doyon, Life Enrichment Coordinator at The Cedars The Life Enrichment Department at The Cedars is partnering with the Friends School of Portland to offer an exciting new, intergenerational program for the residents at the Skilled Care Center at The Cedars. On the first Wednesday of every month, 15 first and second grade students from Friends have been visiting with our nursing home residents to share the lessons they are learning in school. Examples include reading one on one, singing, drama skits and puppet shows, and games. Our goal has been to assure the same studentsmeet with the same residents each month so a therapeutic relationship can bemade and fostered. These friendly visits started in January, with each student arriving with a story that they had written about their lives which they then read to a resident. Over the past few months,...
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Recreation in the Neighborhoods By Kimberly Doyon, Director of Life Enrichment “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead The Cedars is at the forefront of an important cultural change, transforming our resident wings into person-centered “neighborhoods.” Recreation therapy plays an important role in this new model. Neighborhoods are distinct, home-like environments with central dining and activities rooms. Each wing/neighborhood will be staffed by cross-trained clinical and non-clinical staff. This enables our staff to get to know your loved ones personally, which in turn meets their unique needs more successfully. Because we know that residents in facilities with this culture have better quality of life, we are moving towards a more person-centered approach. And this means we are changing the way we plan, design and implement our daily activities. Our recreation...
Posted in our blog on by Angie& filed under Featured.
Posted by Sharon Leddy-Smart, Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium, independent living at The Cedars. “TAKE A DEEP BREATH.” That’s where Jessica McKneally, BA, RYT, yoga instructor for The Cedars, begins her chair yoga class each week. Her students find their chairs and begin to stretch their bodies, focus their minds and find their centers. During the long Maine winters, yoga in the sunlight is a deep breath of fresh air. Yoga classes designed especially for seniors are just one of the many holistic wellness options available to The Cedars community. All winter long, members of The Atrium and The Osher Inn practice tai chi, work out in the gym or in water aerobics and swam laps in the pool. Patients in The Sam L. Cohen Rehabilitation Center gain strength and mobility through therapeutic exercises in the spacious, sunny therapy gym. Delicious, heart-healthy menu choices, wellness lectures and round-the-clock access to...
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With the recent winter-like weather, The Cedars has some suggestions to keep seniors safe this winter whether you’re at home or out and about. 1) If you are driving, be sure to have your tire air pressure, anti-freeze levels, belts and hoses (check for cracks or leaks), checked. And ask about switching to a thinner grade of engine oil for better performance in the cold. Make sure your windshield wipers work. 2) To help prevent wintertime falls wear shoes with non-skid soles and stay on sidewalks or that have been cleared of snow and ice. Use railings! 3) More home fires happen during the winter months than any other time of the year mainly due to home heating devices and people age 65 and older are three times more likely to die or be injured in a home fire as those younger. If you haven’t already, install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of...
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Best Senior Living – ContessaPosted by Contessa, Pet Therapy Provider My name is Contessa. I am a six year old West Highland Terrier and I live at The Cedars. Actually, I don’t live there, but I am there every day and I have a bed there. My “mom” is President and CEO Kathy Callnan and she brings me to work with her every day! Sometimes I take naps in her office while she’s having meetings, but usually she wakes me up and tells me to “Go to work, Tessa!” So I do. My work is being a therapy dog. I visit with residents in the Hoffman Center every week. Sometimes I hear about their grandchildren or their own dogs and sometimes I just get my ears scratched. I like that a lot. My other job is helping my friends Kim Doyon and Janine Fifield run the Life Enrichment program....
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...
