Posts Tagged: Independent Living

How Technology Can Help Seniors Age in Place

Integrating technology into the lives of seniors is a top trend in senior living communities. Why? From social media to helpful gadgets, recent advances in technology can help them stay active, stay safe, and stay in touch with loved ones. Here are seniors and technology tips that can help an older adult in your life take advantage of today’s tech. Tech literacy for seniors has never been a more important priority as shutdowns, lockdowns, and social distancing protocols continue to keep us all us spending more time in our homes. From grandparents on Facebook to helpful gadgets for the elderly, today’s technological advances can help older adults stay connected with family and friends, strengthen fitness and cognition, access information and services, and age in place safely for longer periods of time. If there is a loved one in your life who has resisted using computers or mobile devices, using...

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The Benefits of Retirement Living in the Winter Months

On wintry days like today, we find our residents expressing how thankful they are to have made the decision to move to a retirement community. “I love snowy days now,” one individual recently exclaimed. “I get to enjoy the beauty from inside, while having everything I need, right here.” At The Atrium, independent living at The Cedars, our residents relax in the privacy of their own apartments while having immediate access to friends, fine dining, fitness, entertainment and more. Here are some of the more popular winter activities older adults at The Cedars are enjoying this winter. Fitness Classes When the temperature drops, it can be challenging to get outside and exercise. The Cedars offers many fitness choices including Yoga, Tai Chi, Strength Training, Water Aerobics in our indoor, heated pool, and more. Residents can take advantage of our Fitness Center, swim laps or enjoy the whirlpool spa. Our Wellness...

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Choosing a Senior Living Community: 5 Important First Impressions

When starting the search for a senior community for either yourself or your parent or loved one, first impressions are  key to finding the best fit.  Here are some tips to keep in mind when making your initial visits. 1. Do you like the community’s location and outward appearance? Is the community convenient to restaurants, shops, symphony, theater, physicians, hospitals and pharmacies?  Does it connect you to opportunities beyond the campus that allow for enjoyment of a larger community?  Are the grounds and building well maintained, with plenty of gardens and walking trails?  2. Are you welcomed with a warm greeting from the staff?  And does the staff address residents by their names, interacting with them during the tour? Is it easy to connect with both the residents and the staff?  You want to make sure that the staff not only provides excellent services, but also gets involved with the residents and...

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In Good Company from The Cedars Retirement Community

  As I get to know the many, wonderful members at The Atrium at The Cedars in my role as Marketing Representative, I frequently find myself surprised by what I hear.  Members often explain their reasons for choosing our retirement community: proximity to downtown Portland, sense of security from our continuum of care, or relief from the burden of home ownership.  Once they arrive, although they may have expected the warm welcome from our community, they are often amazed to find themselves developing new friendships. Real, true friendships with peers who share their stories, provide fellowship and offer support.  It seems that this facet of their lives, this idea of relishing the company of friends, was a book already read and returned to the shelf. Once our members at have an opportunity to live without the worries and difficulties that come with aging, the possibilities of living a fuller life...

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Book Clubs, Lectures and Cook-Outs at The Atrium

This week at The Atrium at The Cedars, in addition to their regular water aerobics, strength training and yoga fitness classes, they are enjoying a lecture by historian, Jerry Wiles about Dolly Madison; the Longfellow Book Club discussion on All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr; and a mid-winter cook-out as we raise our glasses to the warm weather ahead.  If you’re interested in finding more out about life at The Atrium, call our Marketing Representative at...

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Downsizing with Kate Lowry

Please join us for a seminar in downsizing with expert  and president of Kate Lowry Designs, LLC at The Atrium Thursday November 20, 2014 FMI and RSVP...

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Considering a Retirement Community?

Reasons to Move to a Retirement Community  Every day, during our conversations with the seniors considering a move to The Atrium at The Cedars, we hear a number of reasons why they haven’t taken action yet.  The ones listed below we hear most often, and if we had a nickel for each time I heard them……well, you know the rest! “I’m healthy.”   Great news – you are the perfect candidate for Independent Living!  And even better news, our community offers tai chi, yoga, strength training, an indoor pool, and a fitness center all under one roof, so you can maintain your health and well-being.  We also have visits from podiatrists, blood pressure clinics, and seasonal flu shots.  All this and a highly respected, state of the art rehabilitation facility, The Sam L. Cohen Rehab Center, right here when you need it. “I can’t imagine fitting all my stuff into...

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Retirement Living at The Cedars: Burgeoning Community of Bridge Players

When Les Brewer first moved to The Atrium at The Cedars in the spring of 2013, he was pleased to hear that there was a standing bridge game every Thursday evening.  At the time, there were a few tables of avid bridge players who would routinely meet.  Over the course of the year, Les has taken on the role of coordinating the game and opening the fun to new players and novices alike.  “Everyone enjoys the hour and a half on Thursday nights – it keeps the mind occupied and it’s very social,” Les explains. When Les was growing up he would watch his grandparents play bridge, learning the game through observation.  Whenever there was an opportunity to play, he would join them.  In college, bridge was a popular early-evening activity in his Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at the University of Maine.  Then, while stationed in Paris, France during WWII, he would walk to the Red Cross...

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Advocating for Seniors at the State House: The Cedars Steps In

On March 5, LD 1776: An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Long Term Care Facilities Study Commission received a public hearing before the Committee on Health and Human Services. John Watson, Chief Financial Officer at The Cedars, was one of the presenters. John was a gubernatorial appointee to the Long Term Care Facilities Study Commission that authored LD 1776 and was recognized for his work and leadership. The Committee concluded Maine must rectify years of chronic underfunding to nursing homes. Rural areas are hardest hit and many are in danger of closing, but even urban facilities are challenged to make ends meet. The Commission urged the legislature to pass $2 million in relief for struggling facilities in rural Maine; a bill to study funding problems in rural Maine facilities; and a bill sponsored by LeadingAge to end the current system of MaineCare reimbursements and would require the...

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Best Retirement Community: 5 Questions You Should Ask When Looking at a Senior Community

What To Look For In a Retirement Community by Angie D’Amours, Marketing Representative at The Cedars 1. What are the living options within the retirement community? So often our members talk about the peace of mind that comes from living at The Cedars because we offer a full continuum of senior health services.  In addition to fully independent living we have concierge services, assisted living, short term rehabilitation and skilled care on our campus.  And because The Cedars has been providing health care to seniors for so long, we have a strong reputation in the Portland area for providing excellent care. So when looking at senior living communities not only ask about whether they have the full array of senior services but inquire into the quality of their care. Whether for the short or long term, immediate access to a community of experts and services in senior care is paramount to peace...

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