“We experience a deeper connection to events in our lives that we associate with music,” says Nick Viti, OTR/L, Manager of Life Enrichment at The Cedars. “Certain songs conjure up very rich and specific memories. For anyone experiencing memory loss, music is a powerful tool.” Thanks to a generous new grant from the nonprofit group Music and MemorySM, The Cedars has exciting new ways to use the power of music to help residents preserve and protect their memory, calm or uplift their emotions and enrich their lives. The Cedars received the entire Music and MemorySM program, an assortment of iPod shuffles, headphones and music downloads as part of the grant. Staff are working with families and loved ones to craft customized playlists for each resident, and to choose music connected with events in each resident’s life story. “Do you ever turn up the radio on your way to work...
“We let families visit whenever they want. All they have to do is ring the doorbell, just like home.” —HANNAH TEMPLE, RN, The Skilled Care Center at The Cedars THE CEDARS is a bright and bustling place during the day, but the compassionate care and sense of community don’t stop when the sun goes down. In fact, they don’t even slow down. It gets quieter, but The Cedars still hums with activity after dark. “Part of creating a homelike environment is letting residents and patients create their own schedules,” explains Hannah Temple, RN, Evening Shift Supervisor. “We have early risers and we have night owls—and we take the very best care of both.” EVENING SHIFT An admitted night owl herself, Hannah has always loved working evening shift. Hannah and her team begin working at 3PM, helping residents get ready for dinner, socialize in the evening and prepare for bed....
At The Sam L. Cohen Rehabilitation Center at The Cedars, we have over 40 physical, occupational and speech therapists that provide rehabilitative therapy to our short term patients, long term residents, and outpatients living in the Portland area. Brian DesPres, Director of Rehabilitation at The Cedars and an occupational therapist Himself, describes the role of an OT as restoring balance in the patient’s life by helping patients return to their optimal level of functioning in self-care. Balance in self-care is a combination of caring for our bodies through bathing, dressing and grooming, and as well as through the reintegration of leisure activities into our lives. During the initial evaluation with patients, the OT asks about prior level and immediately starts to problem solve in order to get that patient home safely. The therapy goals are often achieved through purposeful activities where the OT incorporates basic tasks with strengthening, fine motor or balance...
Posted in our blog on by Tracy& filed under Featured, Giving.
The Cedars welcomed our community to join us in commemorating a powerful and pivotal moment in the Grow Bold With Us Campaign. THE DAY BEFORE the groundbreaking ceremony for the much-anticipated Sam L. Cohen Households, construction crews arrived at The Cedars to begin tearing down a building set on the corner of our campus, clearing the way for the construction to come. By the time honored guests, supporters, community members, staff, and residents arrived on September 21, enormous excavators surrounded the crisp white event tent. The air was charged with excitement, optimism, and change. After so much hope and hard work, the first senior living community to implement the Household Model in Maine and New England was about to be the first to construct a residence specifically designed to be a true home for seniors. CREATING HOME Long before The Cedars broke ground for this innovative new building, our...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
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 Atrium, Featured.
We recently did a workshop with our residents on the basic principles of Progressive Relaxation, with the main benefits of that practice being improved comfort and stress relief. Another complementary exercise is Guided Imagery. Guided Imagery offers similar benefits, but can be more widely used and requires less physical skill; it is one of the more attainable adjunct therapies. Guided Imagery is essentially an elaborate name for directed daydreaming, with the vast possibility for changing one’s mood and sense of wellness. All types of people, from star athletes to patients with significant illness, have successfully used Guided Imagery to focus their thoughts in a positive, healthful direction. Guided Imagery in the healthcare setting can be used as a means of encouraging relaxation, reducing anxiety, and as a method of distraction from discomfort. It is important to remember that the use of Guided Imagery, like other supplemental practices, cannot 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 Angie& filed under Featured.
Help with Aging Parents: Four More Ways to Make the Most of Visits – Part III By Melanie Desjardins, Manager of Care Coordination at The Cedars The third part of our series on making the most of a visit with a loved on at The Cedars, senior living community. For more help, contact our Care Coordination department. 1. Have grandchildren bring or send along artwork, papers or projects from camp or school. The delight that many residents get from seeing the works of children is wonderful – and the children benefit as well, receiving input and kudos from older adults. 2. Plant and take care of an indoor/outdoor garden cart. Our outside patio is beautiful this time of year. Talk to the Life Enrichment staff for this activity. In addition, taking a leisurely stroll through our community pathways provide a great opportunity to enjoy the flora. 3. Do crossword or jigsaw...
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 Angie& filed under Featured.
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...
“We experience a deeper connection to events in our lives that we associate with music,” says Nick Viti, OTR/L, Manager of Life Enrichment at The Cedars. “Certain songs conjure up very rich and specific memories. For anyone experiencing memory loss, music is a powerful tool.” Thanks to a generous new grant from the nonprofit group Music and MemorySM, The Cedars has exciting new ways to use the power of music to help residents preserve and protect their memory, calm or uplift their emotions and enrich their lives. The Cedars received the entire Music and MemorySM program, an assortment of iPod shuffles, headphones and music downloads as part of the grant. Staff are working with families and loved ones to craft customized playlists for each resident, and to choose music connected with events in each resident’s life story. “Do you ever turn up the radio on your way to work...
“We let families visit whenever they want. All they have to do is ring the doorbell, just like home.” —HANNAH TEMPLE, RN, The Skilled Care Center at The Cedars THE CEDARS is a bright and bustling place during the day, but the compassionate care and sense of community don’t stop when the sun goes down. In fact, they don’t even slow down. It gets quieter, but The Cedars still hums with activity after dark. “Part of creating a homelike environment is letting residents and patients create their own schedules,” explains Hannah Temple, RN, Evening Shift Supervisor. “We have early risers and we have night owls—and we take the very best care of both.” EVENING SHIFT An admitted night owl herself, Hannah has always loved working evening shift. Hannah and her team begin working at 3PM, helping residents get ready for dinner, socialize in the evening and prepare for bed....
At The Sam L. Cohen Rehabilitation Center at The Cedars, we have over 40 physical, occupational and speech therapists that provide rehabilitative therapy to our short term patients, long term residents, and outpatients living in the Portland area. Brian DesPres, Director of Rehabilitation at The Cedars and an occupational therapist Himself, describes the role of an OT as restoring balance in the patient’s life by helping patients return to their optimal level of functioning in self-care. Balance in self-care is a combination of caring for our bodies through bathing, dressing and grooming, and as well as through the reintegration of leisure activities into our lives. During the initial evaluation with patients, the OT asks about prior level and immediately starts to problem solve in order to get that patient home safely. The therapy goals are often achieved through purposeful activities where the OT incorporates basic tasks with strengthening, fine motor or balance...
The Cedars welcomed our community to join us in commemorating a powerful and pivotal moment in the Grow Bold With Us Campaign. THE DAY BEFORE the groundbreaking ceremony for the much-anticipated Sam L. Cohen Households, construction crews arrived at The Cedars to begin tearing down a building set on the corner of our campus, clearing the way for the construction to come. By the time honored guests, supporters, community members, staff, and residents arrived on September 21, enormous excavators surrounded the crisp white event tent. The air was charged with excitement, optimism, and change. After so much hope and hard work, the first senior living community to implement the Household Model in Maine and New England was about to be the first to construct a residence specifically designed to be a true home for seniors. CREATING HOME Long before The Cedars broke ground for this innovative new building, our...
We recently did a workshop with our residents on the basic principles of Progressive Relaxation, with the main benefits of that practice being improved comfort and stress relief. Another complementary exercise is Guided Imagery. Guided Imagery offers similar benefits, but can be more widely used and requires less physical skill; it is one of the more attainable adjunct therapies. Guided Imagery is essentially an elaborate name for directed daydreaming, with the vast possibility for changing one’s mood and sense of wellness. All types of people, from star athletes to patients with significant illness, have successfully used Guided Imagery to focus their thoughts in a positive, healthful direction. Guided Imagery in the healthcare setting can be used as a means of encouraging relaxation, reducing anxiety, and as a method of distraction from discomfort. It is important to remember that the use of Guided Imagery, like other supplemental practices, cannot and...