Our retirement community has been growing for over 90 years, and we love to welcome new members. Here is what you and your family need to know to make your best move. There are so many wonderful options for aging adults today. It can be hard to know what to look for in a retirement community and harder still to know how to choose an assisted living community. Will you have personal space? The social nature of a senior living community is one of its most attractive features. Imagine living your best life, safely and securely, surrounded by your best friends! Warm and welcoming common areas, gracious dining options, and beautiful grounds are all designed to encourage get-togethers and good times. You still want to feel at home, however. Personal space is important to maintain privacy, dignity, and choice in our lives, and the amount of personal space we...
How do you celebrate 90 years of quality care, innovative programs, and dedicated leadership? By breaking new ground. Since opening as the Jewish Home for Aged in 1929, The Cedars has set the standard for non-profit, senior care. Today, we offer independent living, assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled care and community-based programs. We mark this milestone by constructing a true home for Maine’s older adults – The Sam L. Cohen Households. This new model of care will feature age-friendly design, with a warm, person-centered experience: two households of skilled nursing care, and one household offering a new level of care, Memory Care Assisted Living. Residents of the Sam L. Cohen Households will experience a living environment that offers a quality of life previously unimaginable outside of their own homes. The Person-Directed Life Your loved one chooses the rhythm of their individual life, the rituals and pleasures that are part of...
The Cedars would like to recognize and congratulate our first PAC (Positive Approach to Care) Champions. Pictured here are Jenna Perkins, Kelly Thumb, Tracy Fleck and Karen Cook. Each of these wonderful caregivers has completed The Cedars Positive Approach to Care Trainings – created by internationally regarded occupational therapist, Teepa Snow – and has demonstrated their new skills while working with our residents who are living with memory loss. Their care, patience, creativity, and positive attitudes all combine to make our residents’ daily lives more peaceful and connected. Working with each resident’s strengths, instead of focusing on their cognitive losses, translates to better days and more successful moments for people living with memory loss. As PAC Champions, each caregiver has signed an agreement to be a role model to their team in their Positive Approach to Care with our residents. You can find each of these caregivers working...
We had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Susan Wehry, Chief of Geriatric Division of Primary Care for the School of Osteopathic Medicine at University of New England prior to her presentation at The Cedars Annual Meeting on May 2. It’s an interesting time with so few people going into geriatric medicine and the number of older adults rising every day. What is your goal and vision in your role at UNE? Whether future physicians want to go into geriatric medicine or not, they are going to be treating a lot of older adults because that’s who’s here. They’ll be working with older adults in orthopedics, primary care, gastroenterology, or even pediatrics – since many grandparents will be caring for their grandchildren. My goal isn’t to create more geriatricians – that situation will take care of itself. Rather, my goal is to ensure that tomorrow’s physicians will know how...
The Cedars recently received the Programming Award from AJAS (Association of Jewish Aging Services) for “Partnering With Elders: Health and Creativity”, an innovative program that builds bridges across age and cognitive barriers through the use of art. Students from the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England come to The Cedars to earn course credits by participating in the Opening Minds Through Art program with our skilled nursing residents. In May, the program culminates in an exciting gallery opening which showcases the vivid and inspiring art that has been created by the residents throughout the year. Kathy Callnan, The Cedars President and CEO, accepted the award at the annual AJAS conference in La Jolla, California, on April 4,...
Posted in our blog on by Katharine& filed under Latest News.
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...
Our retirement community has been growing for over 90 years, and we love to welcome new members. Here is what you and your family need to know to make your best move. There are so many wonderful options for aging adults today. It can be hard to know what to look for in a retirement community and harder still to know how to choose an assisted living community. Will you have personal space? The social nature of a senior living community is one of its most attractive features. Imagine living your best life, safely and securely, surrounded by your best friends! Warm and welcoming common areas, gracious dining options, and beautiful grounds are all designed to encourage get-togethers and good times. You still want to feel at home, however. Personal space is important to maintain privacy, dignity, and choice in our lives, and the amount of personal space we...
How do you celebrate 90 years of quality care, innovative programs, and dedicated leadership? By breaking new ground. Since opening as the Jewish Home for Aged in 1929, The Cedars has set the standard for non-profit, senior care. Today, we offer independent living, assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled care and community-based programs. We mark this milestone by constructing a true home for Maine’s older adults – The Sam L. Cohen Households. This new model of care will feature age-friendly design, with a warm, person-centered experience: two households of skilled nursing care, and one household offering a new level of care, Memory Care Assisted Living. Residents of the Sam L. Cohen Households will experience a living environment that offers a quality of life previously unimaginable outside of their own homes. The Person-Directed Life Your loved one chooses the rhythm of their individual life, the rituals and pleasures that are part of...
The Cedars would like to recognize and congratulate our first PAC (Positive Approach to Care) Champions. Pictured here are Jenna Perkins, Kelly Thumb, Tracy Fleck and Karen Cook. Each of these wonderful caregivers has completed The Cedars Positive Approach to Care Trainings – created by internationally regarded occupational therapist, Teepa Snow – and has demonstrated their new skills while working with our residents who are living with memory loss. Their care, patience, creativity, and positive attitudes all combine to make our residents’ daily lives more peaceful and connected. Working with each resident’s strengths, instead of focusing on their cognitive losses, translates to better days and more successful moments for people living with memory loss. As PAC Champions, each caregiver has signed an agreement to be a role model to their team in their Positive Approach to Care with our residents. You can find each of these caregivers working...
We had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Susan Wehry, Chief of Geriatric Division of Primary Care for the School of Osteopathic Medicine at University of New England prior to her presentation at The Cedars Annual Meeting on May 2. It’s an interesting time with so few people going into geriatric medicine and the number of older adults rising every day. What is your goal and vision in your role at UNE? Whether future physicians want to go into geriatric medicine or not, they are going to be treating a lot of older adults because that’s who’s here. They’ll be working with older adults in orthopedics, primary care, gastroenterology, or even pediatrics – since many grandparents will be caring for their grandchildren. My goal isn’t to create more geriatricians – that situation will take care of itself. Rather, my goal is to ensure that tomorrow’s physicians will know how...
The Cedars recently received the Programming Award from AJAS (Association of Jewish Aging Services) for “Partnering With Elders: Health and Creativity”, an innovative program that builds bridges across age and cognitive barriers through the use of art. Students from the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England come to The Cedars to earn course credits by participating in the Opening Minds Through Art program with our skilled nursing residents. In May, the program culminates in an exciting gallery opening which showcases the vivid and inspiring art that has been created by the residents throughout the year. Kathy Callnan, The Cedars President and CEO, accepted the award at the annual AJAS conference in La Jolla, California, on April 4,...
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...