Susan Wehry, MD, a distinguished geriatric psychiatrist, passionate advocate, and Medical Advisor to The Cedars Learning Community joins us each month to share her insights. Drawing upon lessons from her multifaceted career and over 40 years of experience in long-term care and geriatrics, Dr. Wehry will share her unique perspective on some frequently asked questions about aging and brain health. For much of my career, I’ve been an ardent advocate of nonpharmacological approaches to cognitive and emotional health and well-being. Well, that hasn’t changed, but I am ready to concede that many, many people want a pill—an observation supported by market research: Americans spend an estimated $3.56 billion annually on supplements for brain or cognitive health, according to 2024 data and spending is projected to reach roughly $6.8 billion by 2030. The numbers finally broke me. Americans are spending billions on cognitive supplements, and clearly, many people truly want a pill....
Susan Wehry, MD, a distinguished geriatric psychiatrist, passionate advocate, and Medical Advisor to The Cedars Learning Community joins us each month to share her insights. Drawing upon lessons from her multifaceted career and over 40 years of experience in long-term care and geriatrics, Dr. Wehry will share her unique perspective on some frequently asked questions about aging and brain health. February is the shortest month of the year. It hosts Black History Month, Groundhog Day, President’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. It’s still winter but the days grow longer. Morning comes more quickly and night falls less fast. The sky is lighter. Fittingly, February is also American Heart Month, in which we are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyle habits—a diet richer in whole foods, regular exercise, putting aside tobacco —all which can prevent up to 80% of cardiovascular events. But when I was a child, February was the month when my...
Susan Wehry, MD, a distinguished geriatric psychiatrist, passionate advocate, and Medical Advisor to The Cedars Learning Community joins us each month to share her insights in a new column: #BeingWithAging. Drawing upon lessons from her multifaceted career and over 40 years of experience in long-term care and geriatrics, Dr. Wehry will share her unique perspective on some frequently asked questions about aging and brain health. Let’s face it: healthy brain function requires a little bit of the luck of the draw (your genes and zip code). Mostly though, it requires consistent, conscious habits that bolster the pillars of brain health: physical activity, mental stimulation, sleep and nutrition, and social connection. The simplest yet most powerful habit is physical exercise. What’s good for the heart (and for that matter for your mood, bones, muscles and gut!) is excellent for the head. Aerobic activity increases blood flow to the brain, delivering essential oxygen and...
The Cedars Learning Community is proud to welcome Dr. Susan Wehry as our new Medical Advisor. A board-certified Gero psychiatrist with over 40 years of experience, Dr. Wehry is a nationally recognized leader in aging and dementia care. She currently directs AgingME, Maine’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, and serves as Associate Clinical Professor at the University of New England. Dr. Wehry will guide research, workforce development, clinical standards, and resident programming at The Cedars. Her expertise will be especially impactful in our Mindful Connections program, translating evidence-based dementia engagement strategies into meaningful experiences. We are honored to have Dr. Wehry to help advance our mission and shape the future of geriatric care....
The Cedars’ community-based Mindful Connections Program has been awarded a $125,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Association’s Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI). This funding will enhance the quality and availability of dementia-specific respite care for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers in the Greater Portland area. The Cedars is one of just 41 organizations selected from more than 200 applicants nationwide to receive this competitive grant. The funding will support the expansion of Mindful Connections, a program that uses innovative, research-based therapies tailored to each participant’s unique life experiences and preferences. The program helps older adults with memory loss live in the moment with strength, purpose, and joy. Recognizing that dementia can accelerate both physical and mental decline, The Cedars takes a holistic approach to care, addressing six dimensions of wellness: physical, intellectual, occupational, social, spiritual, and emotional. Mindful Connections is designed for individuals in the early to moderate stages of memory loss...
It’s called the long good-bye, and it is a journey that will change every person it touches. Dementia can be a terrifying diagnosis. Finding support can make all the difference when navigating the twists and turns of the disease. At The Cedars, we have created a space to come together and learn strategies, feel supported and develop lasting friendships My name is Susan, and I am a certified dementia practitioner and occupational therapist. I have worked with individuals living with dementia and their caregivers for more than twenty years. At our monthly dementia caregiver support group we come together as a team to not only listen to each other but to learn strategies and techniques. Understanding what’s causing challenging behaviors is the first step. Learning strategies and techniques is next. Everyone can ask questions and caregivers also learn from each other. Each month we cover a new topic with resources followed by an open discussion that provides an opportunity for questions about challenges caregivers are trying to navigate. Topics have included: “I...
Bates College students have started a music program for residents of The Cedars over the three-month spring semester. The students will develop and implement enriching and engaging musical programs each week that inspire our residents to explore their musical artistic capabilities and form social connectedness within their communities. Students will share their passion for music while providing residents the opportunity to actively participate, make choices, and express their musical artistic capabilities through educational classes, presentations, creative composition, and interactive performances. The first goal of this program is to provide student musicians the opportunity to bring their musical artistry to older adults, practice their music in a unique real-world setting and cultivate reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships with older adults. The second goal is to provide older adults an intergenerational experience by providing opportunities for older adults to share their artistic capabilities, wisdom, creative insight and life experiences. Each program...
Music & Memory started with the understanding that music is deeply rooted in our conscious and unconscious brains. It becomes even more important if the functioning of the brain is deteriorating, as occurs in dementia and other types of cognitive and physical loss. Music can awaken the brain and with it, the memories that are associated with familiar songs. The Music & Memory program helps people who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music. The approach is simple and effective: Music playlists – containing the beloved songs from a person’s formative years – tap deep memories long attached to the brain and can bring listeners back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize, and stay present. Music & Memory has been a part of The Cedars...
The Cedars is excited to announce a new partnership with Tucker’s Taphouse, a small micro-producer of maple syrup with 115 taps located around the southern part of the state, but boiling in Norway, Maine. Together we will explore the art of maple syrup producing while tapping the trees on The Cedars campus! Tucker’s Taphouse will be presenting at The Atrium and Hoffman Center on March 8th to hold an interactive lecture on all things MAPLE for The Cedars residents. From tap to collection to boiling and finally finished syrup. Our residents will have special opportunities all month to see the demonstration of tapping of the trees on the grounds of The Cedars and even help participate in the tapping process! Tucker’s Taphouse: Crafted in Maine, Sustainably Harvested, 100% All-Natural Maple Syrup....
Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) Building Bridges Across Age and Cognitive Barriers through Art The Cedars has completed its ninth year of collaboration with Opening Minds Through Art. Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) is an award-winning, evidence-based, intergenerational art making program for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia. It is designed to help build a society that values all people without regard to age or cognitive status. This art program promotes social engagement which provides creative self-expression opportunities. OMA also provides staff with opportunities to build close relationships with people with dementia. The Cedars has several OMA trained facilitators on staff to help support our residents. For more information about the OMA program...
Susan Wehry, MD, a distinguished geriatric psychiatrist, passionate advocate, and Medical Advisor to The Cedars Learning Community joins us each month to share her insights. Drawing upon lessons from her multifaceted career and over 40 years of experience in long-term care and geriatrics, Dr. Wehry will share her unique perspective on some frequently asked questions about aging and brain health. For much of my career, I’ve been an ardent advocate of nonpharmacological approaches to cognitive and emotional health and well-being. Well, that hasn’t changed, but I am ready to concede that many, many people want a pill—an observation supported by market research: Americans spend an estimated $3.56 billion annually on supplements for brain or cognitive health, according to 2024 data and spending is projected to reach roughly $6.8 billion by 2030. The numbers finally broke me. Americans are spending billions on cognitive supplements, and clearly, many people truly want a pill....
Susan Wehry, MD, a distinguished geriatric psychiatrist, passionate advocate, and Medical Advisor to The Cedars Learning Community joins us each month to share her insights. Drawing upon lessons from her multifaceted career and over 40 years of experience in long-term care and geriatrics, Dr. Wehry will share her unique perspective on some frequently asked questions about aging and brain health. February is the shortest month of the year. It hosts Black History Month, Groundhog Day, President’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. It’s still winter but the days grow longer. Morning comes more quickly and night falls less fast. The sky is lighter. Fittingly, February is also American Heart Month, in which we are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyle habits—a diet richer in whole foods, regular exercise, putting aside tobacco —all which can prevent up to 80% of cardiovascular events. But when I was a child, February was the month when my...
Susan Wehry, MD, a distinguished geriatric psychiatrist, passionate advocate, and Medical Advisor to The Cedars Learning Community joins us each month to share her insights in a new column: #BeingWithAging. Drawing upon lessons from her multifaceted career and over 40 years of experience in long-term care and geriatrics, Dr. Wehry will share her unique perspective on some frequently asked questions about aging and brain health. Let’s face it: healthy brain function requires a little bit of the luck of the draw (your genes and zip code). Mostly though, it requires consistent, conscious habits that bolster the pillars of brain health: physical activity, mental stimulation, sleep and nutrition, and social connection. The simplest yet most powerful habit is physical exercise. What’s good for the heart (and for that matter for your mood, bones, muscles and gut!) is excellent for the head. Aerobic activity increases blood flow to the brain, delivering essential oxygen and...
The Cedars Learning Community is proud to welcome Dr. Susan Wehry as our new Medical Advisor. A board-certified Gero psychiatrist with over 40 years of experience, Dr. Wehry is a nationally recognized leader in aging and dementia care. She currently directs AgingME, Maine’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, and serves as Associate Clinical Professor at the University of New England. Dr. Wehry will guide research, workforce development, clinical standards, and resident programming at The Cedars. Her expertise will be especially impactful in our Mindful Connections program, translating evidence-based dementia engagement strategies into meaningful experiences. We are honored to have Dr. Wehry to help advance our mission and shape the future of geriatric care....
The Cedars’ community-based Mindful Connections Program has been awarded a $125,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Association’s Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI). This funding will enhance the quality and availability of dementia-specific respite care for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers in the Greater Portland area. The Cedars is one of just 41 organizations selected from more than 200 applicants nationwide to receive this competitive grant. The funding will support the expansion of Mindful Connections, a program that uses innovative, research-based therapies tailored to each participant’s unique life experiences and preferences. The program helps older adults with memory loss live in the moment with strength, purpose, and joy. Recognizing that dementia can accelerate both physical and mental decline, The Cedars takes a holistic approach to care, addressing six dimensions of wellness: physical, intellectual, occupational, social, spiritual, and emotional. Mindful Connections is designed for individuals in the early to moderate stages of memory loss...
It’s called the long good-bye, and it is a journey that will change every person it touches. Dementia can be a terrifying diagnosis. Finding support can make all the difference when navigating the twists and turns of the disease. At The Cedars, we have created a space to come together and learn strategies, feel supported and develop lasting friendships My name is Susan, and I am a certified dementia practitioner and occupational therapist. I have worked with individuals living with dementia and their caregivers for more than twenty years. At our monthly dementia caregiver support group we come together as a team to not only listen to each other but to learn strategies and techniques. Understanding what’s causing challenging behaviors is the first step. Learning strategies and techniques is next. Everyone can ask questions and caregivers also learn from each other. Each month we cover a new topic with resources followed by an open discussion that provides an opportunity for questions about challenges caregivers are trying to navigate. Topics have included: “I...
Bates College students have started a music program for residents of The Cedars over the three-month spring semester. The students will develop and implement enriching and engaging musical programs each week that inspire our residents to explore their musical artistic capabilities and form social connectedness within their communities. Students will share their passion for music while providing residents the opportunity to actively participate, make choices, and express their musical artistic capabilities through educational classes, presentations, creative composition, and interactive performances. The first goal of this program is to provide student musicians the opportunity to bring their musical artistry to older adults, practice their music in a unique real-world setting and cultivate reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships with older adults. The second goal is to provide older adults an intergenerational experience by providing opportunities for older adults to share their artistic capabilities, wisdom, creative insight and life experiences. Each program...
Music & Memory started with the understanding that music is deeply rooted in our conscious and unconscious brains. It becomes even more important if the functioning of the brain is deteriorating, as occurs in dementia and other types of cognitive and physical loss. Music can awaken the brain and with it, the memories that are associated with familiar songs. The Music & Memory program helps people who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music. The approach is simple and effective: Music playlists – containing the beloved songs from a person’s formative years – tap deep memories long attached to the brain and can bring listeners back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize, and stay present. Music & Memory has been a part of The Cedars...