Construction for the Sam L. Cohen Households is progressing on schedule. The three stories are up and today the crew started installing the windows. It’s wonderful to see the Households coming to life, every day. The Households are expected to be completed by late November and we anticipate welcoming new residents in January 2021, after the licensing, inspections and certifications are in place. We will have three Households of 20 private residences each: Memory Care Assisted Living and two Skilled Nursing Care. For more information, call Kelli Cummings at 207-221-7192.
Making the Best of Social Distancing at The Atrium
Hello Friends of The Atrium,
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had some wonderful conversations with many of you about how you’re staying busy, active and connected as you stay safe at home. In these conversations, many of you have asked how members at The Atrium are keeping healthy and engaged. Here are some examples of how we’re focusing on the positive and making this period of social distancing more enjoyable for everyone:
- Door-to-door visits to our members with afternoon treats, such as our chef-prepared margaritas and tostadas, or a glass of wine and a selection of hot hors d’ouevres
- Our in-house exercise physiologist, Sarah, creates exercise videos of her Strength and Flexibility classes to share with the community, so members can stay fit at home. Check out one of Sarah’s classes HERE.
- Links to video concerts such as one from a favorite concert pianist, Clare Longendyke. Click HERE to enjoy.
- Weekly yoga classes continue with our long-time instructor, Jessica, who is doing live Zoom classes with our members
- Nick from Maine Audubon provides interactive Zoom presentations, just for our community. Most recently, the members enjoyed an active discussion with Nick on tropical birds
Although our members look forward to, once again, choosing from the many programs, concerts, classes, lectures and community excursions The Atrium calendar offers – we’ve managed to keep life interesting and, more importantly, our members feel safe and well. Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard our members say, “I cannot think of a better place to be during this time.” And a recent email from a member reads, “Between the weekly cart, delicious meals (not flattening my curve), grocery assistance, online ideas from Sarah etc., etc. I thank you – and know for sure that I made the right choice moving to The Atrium.”
As the new Independent Living Advisor at The Atrium at The Cedars, I’m thrilled to bring my fifteen years of senior living experience in helping people select a new home. The Portland area has many different options, and the decision process can be complicated and confusing. One of the most important parts of my role is to help you with questions you may have about senior living and making a choice that is right for you.
Take care and be well,
Kelli Cummings
Senior Living Advisor, The Atrium at The Cedars
kcummings@thecedarsportland.org
207-221-7192
Construction Update: April 2020
Our journey towards the Sam L. Cohen Households is moving along. The foundation is in place along with the elevator supports and steel frame. PM Construction has been pleased with the warm winter weather and are on schedule for a completion at the end of 2020. The SLC Households will offer a new level of care for The Cedars, Memory Care Assisted Living with two additional skilled nursing care households. Each household will accommodate 20 residents in a home environment, with spacious common areas in the center including an open kitchen – open 24 hours per day – dining area, living room, den, and a private dining room. The residents will be the center of the home, making choices for how they live their lives. For more information on the Households, please call Katharine O’Neill at 207-221-7100, email , or visit Sam L. Cohen Households at The Cedars.
Making the Best of Social Distancing at The Cedars
In these days of social distancing and ‘stay safe at home’ orders, it’s critical to keep our residents connected to their loved ones and community, for happiness and overall well being. As we have adapted and navigated our current situation under COVID-19, we want to take a moment to share some of the platforms, personal connections and virtual technology in place, as well as our approach to offering special events and activities. The satisfaction, fulfillment, health, and safety of our community members is our main objective and we look forward to a continued offering of enriching and enhancing programs and experiences.
Our traditional in-house activity programs have been transformed to virtual visits and programs on each neighborhood, in a more intimate setting and definitely at a distance. The residents are enjoying balloon tosses, current events, word games, room deliver treats, Ask Google! and Money-Monday-Bingo, just as they always have – just in smaller groups. Many of our residents have been enjoying video chats with the neighborhood iPads with their loved ones, as well as ‘window visits’ where they spend safe, face-to-face time with their family members while maintaining the social distance that is so important.
If you would like to schedule a ‘visit’ with your loved one – please call 221-7000 between 8:30AM and 3:30PM, Monday through Friday.
At The Cedars, we’re making the best of this ‘new normal’. Many thanks to our amazing staff and the wonderful family members who have supported our community – we are stronger together.
Opening Minds Through Art
Closer to Home: Construction Update
Our construction Team, PM Construction, continues to make steady progress on The Sam L. Cohen Households.The second elevator shaft is being completed and they have started the installation of the under slab utilities and perimeter drainage as well. We marvel in each piece of the project, as it takes us closer to home for our residents. And we look forward to offering the new level of care, Memory Care Assisted Living in addition to Skilled Nursing Care in our three Households, with only 20 residents each in a private, home environment. For more information, call 221-7100 today.
Intergenerational Connections: Creative Storytelling at The Cedars
On December 7, 2020, Falmouth High School (FHS) students, residents of The Cedars, and local artists gathered for An Intergenerational Celebration of Puppetry, Storytelling, and Music—the culmination of a four-month long project in collaboration between FHS, The Cedars, and Figures of Speech Theatre.
Ian Bannon, Director of Education at Figures of Speech Theatre, designed and directed the project and performance around a series of creative storytelling sessions with residents living with dementia at The Cedars. Using TimeSlips, a collaborative ritual storytelling format designed for adults with cognitive challenges, residents draw on subconscious or implicit memories to tell stories. When it becomes challenging to recollect, residents are encouraged to move seamlessly from their memory to their imagination.
FHS students in teacher, Dede Waite’s, theater classes traveled to The Cedars to guide this storytelling and rehearsal process—and to get to know these warm, wonderful, creative older adults.
Bannon and Devon Kelley-Yurdin, a visual artist and community organizer, helped students and residents as they transformed their TimeSlips stories into shadow puppet plays. FHS students in music teacher Jake Sturtevant’s composition class created original scores for each performance. In hands-on shadow puppetry workshops, students and residents worked side-by-side to polish each short vignette and prepare for the student performances of the finished pieces.
The authentic personal connections and new skills formed over the previous four months were evident during the vibrant student performances, applauded by an engaged, appreciative audience of residents, their families, and members of the community.
This program was funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Construction Update December 2019
The Sam L. Cohen Households construction is forging through as the crew finishes the installation of the exterior draining and utilities equipment. In addition, they are prepping the foundation base in anticipation of the materials-testing, at which point the foundation will be poured. The footings are in place, and we expect the foundation to be completed by early February.
Additional parking spaces have been created across from The Atrium main entrance. Please take care with any ice build-up, as the temperatures decline and the snow falls. Our construction team is addressing the issue and our maintenance continues to prioritize keeping the area cleared.
Construction Update October 2019
As we prepare for the building of the Sam L. Cohen Households, our construction crew is finishing up the drilling and blasting for ledge removal at the end this week. We expect the job site trailer to be on site Thursday. Starting the first week of November, we can expect our construction crew to start working on retaining walls, utility and further site work. And then, starting the third week of November, we’ll begin to see the foundation area being prepared. For more information on the Sam L. Cohen Households, offering two levels of care: skilled nursing care and the new, memory care assisted living, call us at 221-7000, ext. #1426.
Why You Should Consider a Gift From Your IRA
Due to recent tax changes, nearly two-thirds of people who once itemized deductions no longer do so. However, if you are least 70½ and have an IRA, an excellent tax savings vehicle remains for gift giving.
The tax law requires individuals who are at least 70½ to withdraw a certain amount every year and to pay income tax on it. This is called your required minimum distribution.
A separate law, however, says that if you make direct charitable gifts from these IRAs, you do not need to show these distributions as income.
Example: Bob has a required minimum distribution in 2019 of $4,000, which will be taxed as ordinary income. Instead of taking the distribution himself, Bob directs the plan administrator to distribute $1,000 directly to The Cedars and another $1,000 to a different charity. He receives the remaining $2,000 distribution himself. Bob must only show $2,000 in ordinary income; the $2,000 to charities passes tax free.
Although the example refers to the required minimum distribution, the annual maximum is actually $100,000. This makes IRA giving an excellent vehicle for fulfilling a charitable pledge as well.
Tax benefits vary in individual circumstances. You should always consult your financial advisor before making tax decisions.
For more information about these and other ways to make tax-wise gifts, please contact the Development Office at development@thecedarsportland.org or 207-221-7007